The Tales and Tails of Elric
by Literature work
Summary: Edward went on a mission to investigate missing soldiers, little did he know, he was going to become the next target. Missing for six months, Roy finally finds him in his aunt's bar of all places, but something is different. It is now up to them to get him back to normal and find out what happened to all those soldiers. Parental Roy/Ed. Chimeras.
1. Unexpected Visitors

_Author's note: Alright, I know there are a lot of these things floating around, but I managed to challenge myself to make one. It is still in progress (as obvious) but I hope you all like it. It was meant to be more of a Parental story than anything else, but I just so happened to want to mix it in with Chimera as well. The second chapter is much better than the first (to those of you who don't know how much I hate writing introduction chapters), but I hope you like it all of the same. Please be patient with me because I am also finishing up my __Sorcerer's Skill__ as well. I vow to finish that first before I make this a full commitment. But I will definitely stick with this. Already got a few chapters in my queue to post so i am excited to start writing. Hope you all enjoy, and here is __The Tales and Tails of Elric_

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

CHAPTER 1

Unexpected Visitors

Thunder crackled through the sky as the world was lit up with a blinding light. Edward flinched as the echoing sound reverberated off of his ears as he dashed down through the water drenched streets. His bare feet splashed through the ankle deep puddles as he scrambled away, running as fast as he could. The rain pounded his shaken shoulders as he pulled his hood tighter over his head concealing it from the suicidal droplets pounding his skull. It was his last fading glimmer of hope to stay dry even though the ocean of water already drenched him to the core.

There was a sudden shout from behind him, nearly freezing him in his place. Shadows started to erect out of the dully lit streets as he looked behind him. Kicking his tired feet into gear, Edward picked up his pace and jetted forward through the rain. He didn't know how long he was running for, an hour? Maybe several? But he frankly didn't care how long it took, as long as it would lead him anywhere but back where he came from. He spun down through several streets of central city trying to evade the crying men behind him, their footsteps drawing ever nearer. Edward's heart felt like it was going to bounce out of his chest as it was pumping so hard almost in fright. He wished Alphonse were there, hell he wished anyone was there, but the streets were empty as the people all hid inside from the storm. He couldn't cry out for anyone to help, he couldn't wait around to find someone, he was alone and at the mercy of the beasts behind him. He remembered how cold and murderous they looked, how they eyed him as if wanting to slit his throat. A silent curse rattled his body. Wasn't anyone looking for him? It has been nearly six months, to the best of his knowledge, yet he was still on his own.

His legs started to slow down though he tried with all of his might to keep them going forward. _Come on legs work…. Please don't give out on me now!_ He pleaded with himself as he spun down a deserted alley. His automail foot hit a particularly slick set of cobblestones and he went skidding to the ground. Mud flew up and splattered his face as his soaking wet green hospital clothes attempted to absorb even more water, weighing him down. They were thin and provided not warmth, no protection against the elements. At least he had his coat, no matter how drenched it already was. Shivers wracked his aching body as he tried to stumble up to his feet, pushing off the ground with all his might. How nice it would have been to just lay there and stop running for a while, but Edward couldn't.

"It turned down this way! You two corner it off!" another order shot out, the deep man's angered cries coming just from around the corner. Edward's breath caught in his throat as he scrambled up out of the puddle he was in and stumbled down the alley. His body whined and he knew that he wouldn't be able to out run a herd of large, fully grown men. He searched frantically for somewhere to hide but the alley's walls were all bare of doors or crevices where he could hide. He just wanted to get out of there. He didn't want to be taken back. Suddenly, Edward's eyes flicked upwards and he caught sight of a small window just out of his reach. It was propped open with what looked like a cooking ladle and sweet smelling food was floating out of it. Whether it was a kitchen or some one's apartment, Edward needed to hide. He took a staggering leap up to the sill, his hands just grabbing the frame. He hurriedly pulled himself up and thrust his good leg through the window.

"It's going through the window!" the gruff voice shouted the obvious as the squelching footsteps drew nearer. Edward's head shot up quickly to see the heavy set man racing forward with lightning speed, eyeing him down with devilishly evil eyes. That man wanted his skin. That is what everyone seemed to be after now. How could an investigation go so terribly wrong? Edward panicked as he tried to pull the rest of himself in through the window but a hand reached out behind him and caught a hold of his coat sleeve. Edward yelped feeling his balance start to tip in the other direction. He grasped onto the widow to try and pull himself back in but the man who snuck up behind him had a firm grasp on his sleeve. As even more footsteps drew nearer Edward frantically tore his arm out of his coat sleeve making the fabric go slack. The coat was ripped off of his shoulders and he was sent tumbling into the lone window with the force. The clattering of pots and pans surrounded him as he fell to the ground of the kitchen tipping over a few tables. The noise hurt and tortured his ears and vibrated off of the walls. He clumsily caught himself on the ground slipping up a bit on the scattered cooking ware. His soaking wet automail foot sent him sprawling to the ground as it connected with the sleek tiles of the kitchen floor. A dull mumbling of voices rang through the walls that surrounded him as he tried to pull himself together. He grasped his aching head as he looked around the abandoned kitchen. A few pots of stew seemed to be boiling over as the chefs must have left for break. The counters and stations were made out of a sleek chrome and glistened from the overhanging lights. A trail of disgusting mud led from the window all the way to where Edward was sitting destroying the cleanliness of the room. He heard a few angered shouts from the window and winced as the men outside cursed at each other. This was a restaurant, obviously full, Edward hoped that they didn't have the guts to try anything. Whatever they were trying to do, Edward needed to get somewhere more populated. He quickly looked around for somewhere to run, for somewhere to hide and he caught a glance at the swinging doors that undoubtedly lead to the serving area. As he moved to get off the floor something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. His heart skipped a beat as he quickly spun around ready to lash out at the unknown being, trying to get away from it. All he wanted to do was get home, be safe and away from the crazy people trying to tackle him and suffocate him. But he froze he came face to face with one of the shiny kitchen cabinets.

…

A muffled shot of thunder crackled through the bar that Roy glumly sat in. It has been raining nails since the early morning, drenching everything in sight. Flash flood warnings rang across every radio station that the city provided as the puddles turned to seas in the streets. It was days like this that Roy felt terrible. The fact that he was completely useless in the rain seemed to stem off of the guilt that rainy days brought him. Sometimes it would force him to look back, way back to the time of ishval and wish that it had been raining those days. But right now, Roy was begging for the rain to stop, for the streets to dry up, or for him to have advanced alchemic skill in something else that wasn't fire. If he was useful, if he knew how to do something except for setting off blazing infernos, he might have been able to go on the mission that his subordinates left him behind on that morning. It was all his fault that he was even sulking there in that bar to begin with. If he had just known what was really entail for his smallest subordinate, maybe they wouldn't be running off on so many failed rescue missions trying to find him. Twenty three so far in the past six months, that was how many times they sent troops out to find the missing alchemist and that was how many times they failed to find him. It was dead end after dead end, after dead end. Roy's stomach dropped like rocks the more he thought about it. He really was useless. He couldn't even protect his own subordinate. It was only a simple investigation, that was all Fullmetal had to do. It was an hour in, and done. Roy expected him to be hauling his angry ass back into his office with a report in his hands before the day was done. Yet he was waiting half a year for any sign of the kid. Not only the guilt getting to him of sending the youngest of their group on a mission by himself, but Alphonse's constant presence in their office was really paying a toll. He just sat there waiting like a statue, only moving when the case on his brother was pulled up in a conversation. It was like their office has gained a piece of furniture only to remind him of his terrible orders to send the Fullmetal alchemist on that mission. Roy groaned to himself and massaged his hands into his face trying to calm himself down, but the rocks in his stomach weren't lifted.

"If you worry yourself anymore, you are going to get sick and I am not making you any soup," Madam Christmas's burly voice scolded him. He looked up through a crack between his fingers at his large menacing foster mother. She was polishing a couple glasses with a clean white rag. It was sparkling clean but she was looking at it with disgust. Roy sighed deeply under his breath as he shoved his empty glass to the side and pulled out his wallet to pay for his drink.

"I am not worrying, that kid can take care of himself. I have seen it before," Roy told her as he slapped to money on the table. Madam Christmas glared at the green even more than she was at the cup. She didn't even touch it as she set the glass back down on one of the racks.

"You can take care of yourself, but you come here whenever it rains. That's not really reassuring, kid," she scoffed at him as she picked up another already glimmering glass and went to polishing it. Roy sank a bit in his chair. He didn't know why he always dragged himself here whenever things went wrong. Madam Christmas's tough love always seemed to make him feel worse, yet for some reason the guilt in his stomach made his foster mother seem like a Christmas present. She was right though, what if Fullmetal couldn't take care of himself for once? He guessed he should have known that since the report on the mission was due several weeks ago, but he didn't want to believe it. Maybe the kid went haywire after finding a clue on the philosopher's stone and didn't bother to turn in his report. He would have told his brother though. The more Roy thought of it, the more likely he thought he would find Fullmetal lying dead in a ditch. He quickly shook that thought from his mind. Madam Christmas noticed his frustration and rolled her eyes.

"Look kid, whatever happens happens. You're just kicking your ass now when you can save your energy and kick it later…. When you aren't in my bar cluttering it with this green shit," she scoffed at him giving a pointed glare at the money he set on the counter. Roy glumly nodded and picked up the money to put it back in his pocket. Madam Christmas hated it when he paid for his own drinks when he was having his rainy days. Any other time she would have forced him to pay double. He knew she thought of it as pity money and didn't want to touch it as if the feeling of guilt would wash off on her. Suddenly there was a loud clatter that came from the kitchens. His head jerked up along with half of the other people in the place. Madam Christmas growled something under her breath, the scowl that was always present on her face growing even bigger. She angrily slammed the glass on the counter so hard Roy half expected it to break.

"Damn cooks, always slacking off and making a mess," she huffed as she tossed her rag down on the counter. She started to head back towards the double swinging doors in the kitchen. She paused for a second to grab a small broom from underneath the bar before resuming to head back towards the kitchen. Roy felt slightly bad for the cooks. When Madam Christmas brought out the broom, he knew from experience to high tail it out of there.

…..

Edward stared pathetically at his grimy reflection in the chrome counter side plating. He always wished that he was hallucinating back in the lab where the guys held him captive for so long, but deep down he knew he wasn't. He had covered them up with his coat hood as if he and no one else could see them, maybe they didn't exist but he could feel them twitching on his head to the slightest sound or breath of air. Every noise amplified as they swiveled around trying to identify every little thing. Edward carefully reached up past his mud covered face and gingerly grasped one. The furry ear twitched and sent a slight shock down through his system as his cold hand made contact with it. He felt some tears welt up in his eyes. Those scientists were cruel bastards who made him into… this. After all of the failed and bloodied experiments that Edward caught sight of through his 'investigation' they managed to turn him into a freak. Two large golden cat ears sat on top of his head, warm and alive, replacing the ears he and every other human used to have. They were connected to him and were part of him. His wet, muddy golden hair carefully fell down around them as if they had always been a natural part of his anatomy. Edward gave a light pitiful groan to himself as he massaged his new fluffy appendages on his head. They stung and hurt from all of the constant tugging. The scientists called him a success but he wished he could just tear them off or cover them back up with his now missing coat. How could he step back outside looking like this? Suddenly the doors to the kitchen swung open aggressively and someone stormed in.

"Alright, where are you yah creeps? Bloody chefs. I should just fire them," he heard a grumpy man growl out to the empty kitchen. The footsteps crossed the floor and started to come closer to the small space he was in. The only barrier separating the man and the intruder was a small cooking station. Edward looked around frantically to find somewhere to hide or to cover up with. If someone caught him, if they saw, they would undoubtedly ship him off to the lab or even the hospital. He would be a sitting duck for the next big science experiment. He searched around for something to hide in but there wasn't enough time to do anything. He quickly picked up a large cooking pot off of the ground and slammed it over his head just as the man rounded the corner. Edward stared up at the person in complete shock, his eyes wide and frozen. He even felt his ears press down against his head in fear as he came across the scowl he was getting. It wasn't a man, though the gangly voice told him differently. A large angry, heavy set woman glared down at him with complete disgust. Edward felt belittled even beyond comparative size to the woman. All of a sudden the lady pulled out a broom and smacked him across the head with it. Edward kept a tight hold of the cooking pot to make sure it didn't pop off in her rampage, but also to protect his hurting head. The lady continued to smack him crazy as he tried to scramble up to get away from her.

"Get out of my kitchen you bum! Making a mess everywhere! Ruining my cooking ware! Interrupting bonding time with my son! Get out of here you animal! If you want food get it in the restaurant! Out!" The woman's cries rang out. Edward scampered out through the swinging doors as fast as he could his bare feet slipping a bit in his haste. His heart was in his throat as he tried to avoid the swining pain of the broom. Why couldn't anyone leave him alone? He raced past a couple tables narrowly missing a couple customers who were standing up to leave. The heavy woman behind him screamed and raged at him as she plowed through. Suddenly a man came out of nowhere and Edward collided with him harshly, sending them both to the ground. He groaned in pain as he tried to get up but his bare feet couldn't keep traction on the hard wood floors. He slipped and slid, managing to fall over several more times during his pathetic attempt to stand. He heard footsteps come up behind him and the broom smacked him against the head one more time, making a ringing noise sound through his pot hat.

"Get up and clean up the mess you made! Tracking dirt through my place like this! Get up you little shit," she scolded him.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING LITTLE YOU POMPOUS WOMAN?" Edward shouted at her in anger against his better judgment. The broom came down and nailed him on the head one more time. He clinged to the pot on his head for protection, his ears pinned tightly to his head as he tried to figure out what to do next. All he wanted to do was to get out of there, away from his persuers, away from the crazy lady with cleaning ware, and back to his dorm with Alphonse where he knew it was safe and secluded. The broom continued to pulverize him as his feet slipped on the floor. He held the pot on his head protectively as if it was his only life link. Out of the mess he was in, Edward heard a light unbelieving voice wrack through the noise of the woman's shouting.

"F-Fullmetal?"

….

Roy's side flared up as he collided harshly with the ground. All he saw was Madam Christmas chasing some poor bum out of her kitchen and then he found himself on the floor staring at his poor soaking wet subordinate. Edward was slipping around on the floor as the broom of doom smacked against the cooking pot he held tightly against his head. His usually black clothes were swapped out for soaking wet, thin green hospital pajamas. Roy panicked for a second. Was he hurt? He looked beaten, he looked tired, but the thing that caught Roy's attention the most was the slight, disturbing flicker that ran through the kid's eyes. He was scared. If he had been an animal, Roy would have expected him to charge out of there with his tail between his legs. The growing pit in his stomach seemed to break open into a never ending abyss. Madam Christmas was right, Fullmetal did have his rainy days. The broom came down towards his subordinate one more time but Roy quickly reached out and snatched it from the woman. Madam Christmas glared down at him in disgust like she normally did, but it was obvious to him that she was just as much shocked as he was. Roy tossed the broom back behind the bar and quickly turned back to where Edward was desperately scrambling across the floor, trying to find traction beneath his bare wet feet. They were covered in mud and painful bloodied scratches as if he ran a mile on a bed of nails. They weren't too bad, he obviously could still walk on them but it wasn't a light jog in the park.

"Fullmetal?" Roy asked as if still wondering if that really was him. At the sound of his title, the blond head perked up suddenly in alert and he turned his golden eyes towards him. His face was blanched out, pale and sickly white as he stared at him in shock. It looked as if he was trying to figure out if it was really him or not.

"Colonel?" Edward said surprised only after his frozen wide golden eyes met with his black ones. A shot of relief seemed to splash through him, but it didn't calm the boy down enough.

"You know him?" Madam Christmas ruffed in a skeptical voice. Roy nodded his head, eyes still watching his subordinate in disbelieve. The kid was missing for six whole months. He had a rescue mission out on the look for him, and the one place that he finds him was in the kitchen of his foster mother's bar.

"Fullmetal, are you hurt? What happened? _Where are your shoes?_" Mustang asked him as the kid attempted to stand up one more time. He clinged to the bar stool next to him to help prop him up as the puddles of water he dragged in were flooding the floors making them slippery. From outward inspection, other than his cut up foot and looking like he was thrown into a marsh, the kid looked fine. He didn't have any gaping wounds in his sides or bleeding profusely to the extent of death. But he was wearing hospital clothes. Was he sick? It was a lot better to find him making a fool of himself in the restaurant with a cooking pot clamped tight over his head than to find him dead in a ditch like he expected. After watching his subordinate struggle for a bit, trying to get up, Roy rolled his eyes and lifted the kid up onto the stool. Edward twisted and tried to shove him off of him as he set him on the stool, eyes widening in sudden flash of fear. He kept forgetting that Fullmetal didn't like to be touched. He didn't quite understand the boy's problem with it, maybe it was a fear linked to when he lost his limbs, but Roy never pushed him on it. He backed away a bit and Edward's dripping wet body sagged on the stool as if it couldn't hold its own weight up. The kid looked tired and bent as if he went through a war. Yet, the kid didn't give him an answer to any of his questions, his mouth was frozen shut as his golden eyes quickly darted around the room as if trying to find all of the shadows that would come out and jump him. Roy placed a hand on the kid's shoulder and shook him a bit. The golden eyes snapped to him, wide and defensive. He shoved his hand off of him like it was ridden with disease.

"Fullmetal, tell me what is going on. What is your report?" he asked him, hating how demanding his voice sounded. He didn't want to boss the boy around like his commanding officer, which he was, but he needed to grasp the boy's wandering attention. Adrenaline was obviously still present in the kid's system. What happened to him?

"I-it'll be on your desk tomorrow," Edward halfheartedly scolded him, his eyes darting nervously towards the door. "I-I just want to go back to my dorm. I am not working overtime for a bastard like you," he said as if trying to act casual, but the boy just sounded like a scared kitten afraid of a storm. Thunder rolled and Edward looked like he flinched slightly but Roy just took it as another shiver, the boy was soaking wet and freezing. Roy took a quick glance out the window. It was still pouring buckets of rain outside. A few people were gathered underneath the restaurant's canopy as if sheltering themselves from the storm. They looked like common loiterers but Roy caught a couple of their grim eyes dart around through the restaurant window as if trying to find someone. A single splash of red fabric was tucked underneath one of the men's arms and he knew instantly who they were looking for. Roy glanced down curiously at Fullmetal who was curling slightly in on himself as if to suck grasp every last ounce of body heat from inside him to warm up his shivering body. He needed to get him out of there.

"Madam Christmas, I can't believe you almost let a customer leave without his coat and shoes," Roy said stiffly as he watched his subordinate look up at him in confusion. The old ghastly woman behind him scoffed at him.

"It was his fault he forgot them in the first place. I'll have one of the girls fetch them for the idiot," she replied as she hobbled off to the back where her employees liked to work. Edward watched her leave almost with a sigh of relief. Roy knew that his foster mother was frightening, but he didn't think that the broom of doom was enough to offset the Fullmetal.

"Colonel, I don't have-" Edward shakily began but Roy shot him a stiff glare.

"I can't believe those girls allowed you to drink so much, even at all. You can't even remember where you put your things. They must have done a good job on you," he said not giving the kid any lee way to retort. Suddenly a young girl came out of the back hallway, her shirt and hair slightly skewed, carrying a small bundle of cloth and boots. Though the weather was slightly cold with the rain, she was wearing a short mini skirt, much to Roy's liking.

"Oh, Ro~oy! Here are the young lad's clothes! I can't believe he forgot them! Running out of there in such a rush! Madam Christmas must have given him a heart attack!" she said in her cheery money making pout. Roy smiled thankfully to the girl as she set the clothes down on the bar next to them. She collapsed in one of the vacant chairs crossing her legs over each other at the knee drastically. Roy looked away and focused on the bundle of fabric. Geraldine was one of the new employees to Madam Christmas's establishment so like all of the girls before her, she liked to lay the dramatics on thick. Roy caught Edward staring at the woman in complete utter shock, his golden eyes wide.

"Thank you Geraldine, I am sure the kid had a great time playing cards with you, but we couldn't go anywhere without his shoes. It's a storm out there! The people outside might think he was crazy to leave here looking like that! You're a life saver," Roy told her happily. Geraldine's green eyes looked at him questionably before glancing over to the window, her dark lips crooking into a knowing smirk.

"Well, they must just be jealous that pumpkin over here had such a great time with me tonight. Those stakes the boy bet at the poker game were definitely worth the hassle," she said winking at the kid.

"I-I-I what?" Edward stuttered in complete disbelief. His face was turning absolutely pale. Roy would have loved to rub his embarrassment around and taunt him with it but now wasn't the time. He would just have to save that for later. Geraldine gave Fullmetal a sweet grin, making the kid squirm away slightly in his seat.

"I would go relieve them of their envy but… Golden goose over here really tired me out, with his iron grip on all of those royal flushes," she said playfully touching the boy's automail arm. Edward quickly retracted his hand away from the woman, pulling the pot down tighter over his head as if to try and to hide his embarrassment more. Geraldine pouted a bit and pulled away, sighing heavily to herself. "But, I think the other girls might like to see how they fair out. I will go get them to test the waters."

"Yes, I think that would be great, just make sure there aren't any sharks in them," Roy chuckled heavily as Geraldine stood up to leave. She let out a shrill snort as she turned on her heel to go back to the dark, incense filled hallway where she came from.

"Don't worry bout them, I think they're all guppies anyway," she commented before she disappeared. Roy let out an exhausted sigh and turned back to where his subordinate was finding every shade of red he could possibly muster up. He reached out and pulled the fluffy grey coat off of the pile. It was rabbit fur, obviously from one of the girls' rich older customers. He quickly slid it over the boy's shoulders. The boy didn't even move, still shocked from what happened. Roy snapped his bare fingers in front of the kid's face causing him to nearly jump out of his skin. Edward tried to scramble back away from the nonexistent fire but only managed to topple off of his chair and onto the floor. He let out a yip as he collided with the ground, the cooking pot rattling around on his head. He clamped down on it to try and stop the metallic ringing noise that was coming off of it. Roy rolled his eyes and picked up the boots off of the counter and tossed them to him.

"Fullmetal, get up and lose the cooking pot. We are leaving," Roy ordered him. Edward shook his head and kept a tight grip on the cooking ware as he plowed his feet into the yellow rubber galoshes. He winced a bit as his ginger right foot pressed against the stiff rubber of the shoe. Roy thought he looked utterly ridiculous in that outfit but there wasn't much more they could do. It was kind of a drastic situation and Edward needed at least something to wear. _If you never sent him on that mission, maybe you wouldn't be worrying about the kid's pride being washed away with those ugly yellow rain boots._ Roy quickly shoved that ugly subconscious comment aside. He wasn't going to ruin this all with self-loathing and pity. Whatever happened to Fullmetal six months ago, obviously is still following him now. He just needs to get him back somewhere safe. If those goons outside really are what's scaring his subordinate so much, then they are smart enough to stay out of public situations. Roy caught Edward take another nervous glance out the door as he tightened the pot around his head. For some reason the kid didn't want to get rid of it. He looked almost like a little child with that on, playing knights at the round table with soup spoon swords and cookie sheet armour. Roy groaned to himself as he massaged his tired face. The boy looked pathetic. He couldn't force the kid to take it off, not now. Knowing the Fullmetal's obnoxious behavior, it would create a scene and definitely alert the men outside.

Suddenly there was a large bustle of giggles as a few girls stepped out of the back, their hair fluffed and lips red with smiles. Edward turned his head and caught sight of them all, his face returning back to the previous red hue it had taken. Roy rolled his eyes and grabbed Edward by the shoulders, steering him towards the door following the crowd of lovely Christmas girls a safe few feet away.

"C-Colonel, what the hell are we-"

"Shh!" Roy hushed him up. One of the girls in front of them, a nice blond with perky blue eyes heard the boy's comment and quickly gave him a reassuring wink. As soon as they made it to the door, the women were out and shuffling to the side where the group of menacing men were loitering. They made constant coos and calls to try and grab the mens' attention. As distraction of several beautiful women went forth, Roy quickly shoved his subordinate out of the door and spun him down towards where he parked his model T outside of the restaurant. They walked as briskly as possible to the car, Edward limping a bit almost at a jog to keep up with him. Roy flung the car door open and basically shoved the blonde into the passenger's seat. The kid tumbled in, his make shift helmet rattling around in protest. Roy leaned over and grabbed the buckle for him but Edward quickly shoved him angrily out of the door.

"I am not a bloody child!" he snapped ripping the seat belt out of his grasp and fumbling to shove it into the lock. Strangely enough though, there was a slight snip of fear and adrenaline in the boy's voice. Roy tried his best to take it how the kid meant it and huffed some bland retort under his breath as he slammed the car door in the kid's face. As he rounded the car he looked up and caught sight of the men hastily trying to shove the beyond desperate girls off of them. They didn't seem to notice anyone left at all. He quickly flung himself in the driver's seat and started the engine. He would have to remember to thank them all later.

Roy drove as carefully as possible out through the rain storm. The thunder seemed to be off in the distant now as the rain started to lighten up with the ending storm. Edward's body was tense, his hands gripping the seat as if desperately trying to ground himself into the situation. With every block they drove away from the place, the more the kid seemed to relax. By the time they were on Twenty third street, the bar being on 10th, Edward was leaning tiredly against the window with his arms crossed in defiance to the storm around him. Roy took a glance in the rear view mirror as to make sure they weren't being followed but the road was clear except for the million puddles of water that drenched them. He let out a sigh of relief as he focused back on the road.

"Fullmetal, I need your report," he said trying to break the icy silence that filled their car. The rain drops on the window shield started to torment him slightly, calling him useless whenever they impacted the glass. He just needed to make sure his subordinate was alright. Maybe then some of the guilt that filled his stomach might finally be digested and rid of. Fullmetal turned over in his seat and stared out of the foggy window with a scowl planted on his face.

"I said I will turn it in tomorrow. I just want to sleep this off in my dorm-"

"we aren't going to your dorm, Fullmetal," Roy stated plainly. The kid quickly turned his head and glared at him in abnormal hatred. Roy was used to it. The boy had anger problems beyond belief, but something just seemed off. That flicker of fear still hung in the kid's eyes. What happened to him to have caused that?

"What do you mean I am not going back? Where the hell are you taking me you bastard?" Edward demanded fully defensive, his fists clenching as if ready to punch something. Roy kept his face as straight as possible even though he knew that the kid could break his jaw in one swipe. He was the commanding officer, as much as he hated it; he couldn't show any emotions towards his subordinates, even the little ones.

"Well, that depends," Roy started slowly trying to make the kid calm down as they approached a stop sign. "With those men after you we can't risk sending you back to your dorm. They will probably check there first for you if they are that desperate. We don't have absolute identification so we can't take any solid steps at the moment, that is unless you are willing to turn in your report right now," he said giving the kid a sideways glance as he let off the brake and continued down the road. Edward's golden eyes pierced with defiance as if they were screaming 'No' to him all over again. Taking that as his answer, he continued.

"Very well, that leaves two places. I can take you to the hospital since I don't know the full extent of your injuries, or, much as it pains me, I can take you to my house. It is secluded and away from the military dorms so they definitely won't think of looking there," Roy finished.

"No! I am not- No! Just take me back to my dorm! If you are so worried about me all of a sudden, I can have Al look after me. You know he doesn't sleep!" Edward complained sitting up in his seat so fast the cooking pot on his head banged off of the roof of the car. Roy didn't dare look at his subordinate while he cursed silently to himself because he blew his eardrums out from the noise. The commanding officer sighed to himself as he pulled the car to a stop along the side of the rode and turned the engine off making the entire vehicle fall into silence.

"Edward, there is a rescue mission out looking for you right now. They are trying to find your body in a ditch somewhere. Alphonse, since he wasn't allowed to be on the team, went out looking on his own. I will call everyone to say that I found you but I don't know when they will be back. Alphonse is all the way out of town. He won't be back tonight," Roy told him. Edward frowned to himself as he stared blankly at him. Roy waited patiently for the kid to do something but he just sat there contemplating. There must have been a lot going in that kid's head. Roy suspected he just escaped a kidnapping or something of the sort, ran for his life for who knows how long, and came back to this place just to find that people thought the worse.

"Th-they thought I was dead?" he muttered to himself. Roy let out a heaving sigh and rubbed his brow with his hand. He didn't know how else to break it to the kid.

"Not necessarily, we obviously hoped that we were wrong, Alphonse knows in his gut that you were alright, but six months is a long time to be missing Fullmetal, especially as a state alchemist."

"Why weren't you out looking for me?" Edward turned and asked him with sudden agitation. Roy would have told him the truth, but he knew the kid wouldn't have let it go. He would have taunted him forever about not being able to go looking for him because it was raining. They were up against an unknown enemy and Hawkeye said that having him around would just be an extra body bag to carry out if anything goes wrong. Roy scowled to himself and muttered something under his breath. The kid frowned at him, but strangely didn't press any farther. Was he not even expecting him to be out looking for him? He was probably fending for himself the entire time with no one to help. Did he lose faith? What type of commanding officer did he think he was? Roy shook the thoughts from his head and took a deep breath, trying to put on a cool headed façade.

"Alright, so what is it? Hospital or-"

"The bastard's house," Edward said a little too quickly for Roy's taste. He noticed that the boy subconsciously reached up to his head and pulled the helmet down tighter over himself. It was obvious to everyone who knew him that Fullmetal didn't like hospitals. On several occasions, Roy had seen Alphonse or even Havoc do patch work on the boy since he refused to go to the white cabinet of disinfectant and noisy nurses. Roy made a mental note to check Fullmetal for any serious injuries once they got inside his house just to make sure they weren't making a big mistake. He was already wearing the hospital clothes, how much worse could he be? Ignoring how uncomfortable they both were with the situation, Roy unbuckled his seat belt and started to open the door to the car.

"Where are you going?" Edward asked questionably. There was a slight glimmer in his eyes as if pleading for him to stay, but Roy shook his head. It must have just been a mistake. It was late, he was off.

"I live here," he stated before slamming the door closed.

…


	2. Exposed

_Authour's Note: As I didn't say this before in the first chapter, I would like to say this now. The word processor in which I am typing does not have autocorret, spell check, or grammar check, so I have to go through it all by hand. No body is perfect so I obviously miss a few details here and there. _

_Here is the second chapter of the story. I hope you all enjoy it well. Thank you for the reviews. I would like to note that I don't and won't normally update this fast. I have been writing this story for a while during my writers block on my other story. I will be updating a bit fast because I already wrote a few chapters and they are all ready to go. However, Once I run out of already written chapters this story will have to slow down on the updates because I will begin having to write them weekly or however often. But until then, Enjoy!_

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

CHAPTER 2

Exposed

Edward stared up at the giant building in disbelief. It was practically a mansion; not an Armstrong mansion, but close. He always expected the bastard to live somewhere more suiting to his needs, like a cardboard box. That way he could burn it in the winter to stay warm. But no, Sparky had to live in a mansion. Pillars framed the large double door entrance of the two story palace. It looked almost to be nearly two and a half apartment buildings wide. In their argument in the car, Edward didn't even realize that the colonel had taken a turn down towards the ritzy part of town where there were actual houses on the street; not just houses, but giant houses. Roy pulled out the keys to the house and opened the small iron barred gate and started to walk up the pathway to the house. The place was so big, he was almost scared to go near it, but he forced himself to follow. It was better being in an overly priced house than out on the street with those lunatics. After looking over his shoulder Edward stumbled up after him, eyes wide as he tried to take in everything. When they reached the steps, he looked down to notice that it was actual marble, kept clean by what seemed constant attendance.

"You got to be fucking kidding me," Edward whispered under his breath as the Colonel slid the key into the lock. He turned around and gave him one of his stupid cocky smirks as he opened the large oak door. The inside was almost as exciting as the outside. The sparkling white carpet flowed into an open living room with a baby grand piano in the front and small book cases lining the walls. A Grand staircase lead up from the main floor to the second while there was a large dining room to the left with a table Edward could have guessed to seat fifteen. He half expected there to be red carpet flowing and rose pedals adorning the place but it was a simple plain old mansion, sparkling clean with good care and taste in furniture. Edward shook his head trying to make sure this wasn't a trick, the pot sliding slightly on his head.

"Make sure you take your boots off, I don't want Benjamin to have to clean up your mud," the Colonel commented as he tossed the keys into a small dish beside the entrance and closed the door.

"What the hell Colonel? You have a butler?" Edward gasped as he slid his dirty feet out of the dinky boots. He didn't see what difference it made since they were both completely trashed anyhow. Whoever this Benjamin guy was, he was going to have a mess to clean up either way. He froze a bit as his foot hit the cold floor. He hated cold.

"He isn't my butler, he is a friend. He just so happens to be a professional butler as well. Works in one of the fine dining restaurants down the way. He helps me out here too," Roy told him like everyone already knew who this Benjamin Butler was. Edward glanced down at the shiny floors and then over to the absolute stainless carpet.

"He definitely helps you a lot more than you think," Edward muttered but the man shot him a nasty look. Edward felt ashamed as he subconsciously flinched at the look the man gave him. Roy must have noticed and gave a sigh and shuffled his way over to the dining room and then through a small set of swinging doors to what was undoubtedly the kitchen. Edward waited for him to return, slightly afraid to step all over the freakishly white house. It took a while but Roy came back with a fluffy yellow towel and tossed it to Edward.

"Third door on the left. Benjamin went up to lay out some extra clothes for you since those are practically rags. Take a shower, then we will see about bandaging your foot," Roy sighed tiredly.

"A-a shower?" Edward stuttered. It sounded like he almost forgot what a shower was but he didn't, unfortunately. Roy looked at him as if he was crazy and nodded his head.

"Yes Fullmetal. We don't want those cuts to get infected. Now go take a shower, and take that damn pot off of your head," he ordered. Edward took the towel cautiously and started to wipe his feet off with it so that he could walk through the house without disturbing it. Mustang looked too comfortable in his own home for Edward to handle. He still couldn't believe that the bastard lived in a place like this. What was this world coming to?

….

Edward carefully stared in the mirror and took a deep breath. He knew what that ridiculous pot on his head was hiding, but he still was afraid to take it off. He was grateful that the Colonel didn't do something stupid like order him to take it off at that very instant or something like that. It seemed the man still didn't suspect that anything was out of the ordinary. Edward winced a bit as he took the heavy pot off of his head. The thing weighed a ton and it hurt to have it on his head for so long, but there was no other way to cover up the abomination that he had turned into. Edward heard footsteps slowly approach the door and he quickly slammed the pot back over his head. There was a light knock on the door and Edward stumbled over to open it. He looked out of the crack in the door and spotted a middle aged man with naturally brown grey hair and a clean shaved face. He was wearing a simple white button down and some relaxed cargo pants. Edward was slightly frightened to not find the Colonel there but then remembered that it must have been Benjamin.

"Sir… Elric?" The man asked slightly confused. Edward opened the door only a few centimeters wider to catch the man staring awkwardly at the pot he had over his head.

"Yes?"

"I have your clothes for you, sir. The master is getting the first aid kit ready. I heard that you hurt yourself. Is everything alright?" the nice man asked, concerned for him. Edward could have puked when he called Mustang 'master', but he wasn't about to tell him that. He quickly shook his head and reached out for the soft pile of clothes in the man's hand. He turned around and quickly set them on the closed toilet seat near the shower.

"Alright then. When you are done, just head down to the kitchen," Benjamin told him. It looked like he was about to turn away but he stopped and then added, "Might I also advise you to leave the cooking ware?" Edward quickly nodded his head as the man left and slammed the door shut. He flipped the lock, much to his relief and quickly pulled the pot off of his head. What was he going to do? The golden ears slanted off to the side in dread as he tried to think of possible ways to either cover up what happened in the lab or to reverse it. The colonel expected a report, but he couldn't tell him that those freaks were performing chimera, super human experiments on _him._ They would ship him off to a lab the instant he sent the report in if Roy didn't already do it himself. There had to be a way to reverse it. _Big brother, ed?_ He heard his subconscious whisper to him. He froze instantly as he looked back into the mirror, his golden fluffy ears pinned tightly down to his head. It was like with Nina. What if it can't be reversed? He couldn't save her from the tragedy that befell her, what if he couldn't save himself? Edward felt tears welt up in his eyes as he slowly sank to the floor, the complete impact hitting him as hard as a brick wall.

"Those bastards," he huffed under his shaky breath. All they wanted to do was create a new species of super human. It was obvious they were trying for immortality in the long run but heightened animal senses were enough to start with for them. They picked him up and now made him less than human, a freak in the outside world. He felt a soft, warm twitch from something around his abdomen. Edward slowly lifted his shirt and tossed it carelessly aside, letting the furry snake like appendage uncurl itself from his chest where he had kept it so carefully hidden. The golden fur on his tail was matted down from all of the rain that pounding it from his chase. It flicked carefully too and thro as he stared at it, like it had a mind of its own, but he knew it didn't. Edward shook his head to himself as he slowly stood up off of the ground, walking over and stared determingly at the water faucet. Maybe he could wash all of his worries away. Maybe when he was done, clean, and warm, he might not have these things anymore. It could have just been one long and terrifying dream.

….

Water sprayed his face with burning force. He tried to breath but the water was coming out, straight for him, pounding him down into the back wall. He held up his hands to try and break the stream from his face but it always seemed to move dodging his every attack. Edward was drowning, and it hurt. He didn't even know if he was crying from the pain at all because the water was whipping so fast across him he couldn't do a thing but let it beat him. He curled up defensively as to try and hide from the jetting stream, but there was nothing to hide behind. He wanted Alphonse, he wanted Winry, he wanted someone to turn the damn water off and save him. Suddenly, the pressure that was suffocating him, beating his ribcage to bits, was turned off, leaving a stream of dripping wet concrete in its wake. Edward shivered, his arms wrapped around himself to try and to find some warmth in the soaking wet world around him. He heard footsteps hammer across the floors, tearing his sensitive ears to shreds. He winced slightly as the man crouched down in front of him.

"So it used to be the Fullmetal Alchemist right? The boy who got Shou Tucker?" he asked to some unknown person behind him. The man must have nodded since he heard no response from anyone. Edward's body shivered causing his automail ports to ache and rattle. He felt the man's eyes burn back down on him as if studying him for another test, taking in his completely distorted sub human anatomy. He still felt the burning pain in his spine from where the strange animal tail had grown out of. His cranium felt like a cracked egg as the sensitive feline ears were practically glued onto his head, making the slightest pin drop like a loud thunderstorm. A hand reached down and softly patted his hammering head, and tussling his soaking golden locks in a mess.

"How ironic, him to just arrest the Sewing Life Alchemist and then get stitched up himself," the man commented as he continued to stroke Edward's hair like he was some strange house pet. Edward would have smacked him away, he could have cut the man's arm off, clawed out his eyes for even touching him at all. He hated being touched, he hated being stroked. But his body couldn't seem to move. He was frozen, shivering wet, as the man treated him like an animal. _But you are an animal._ A grim smile reached the scientist's face as he stood up and looked down at the pathetic abomination. "I don't think it will be any more trouble. Give him one more go."

…

Edward practically fell out of the shower gasping for air as he quickly as he got in, falling over the spiket and accidentally slamming his elbow into it, turning the water off. His foot stung from all of the cuts being washed clean forcefully from the water. As soon as he turned the water on he wished he hadn't. Edward stumbled to grab one of the towels off of the counter to dry himself off with. No, it wasn't just a dream. He couldn't seem to remember how much he hated water. He had endured the strenuous hours in the rain, the mud, the dirt simply out of survival. He had a choice, water or pain. Edward ran out in the storm that morning because he had to, but in reality, he was scared shitless that he might just drown in his own race for freedom. It was all too real, like a nightmare coming back to life. The water that was forced down upon him it was cold, it was powerful. He could almost feel it dripping down through his skin, the iciness of it all reaching his inner bones. It suffocated him. Edward shivered as he tried to rub himself dry, getting all of the water off of him. He needed to get it off. He hated the sound and the sight of the running water. After a few minutes, Edward was forced to stop seeing as his skin was rubbed red from the towel. The cloth didn't seem so soft anymore. It was covered in all of the dirt that the short five second shower didn't wipe off of him. He was still extremely dirty, but he didn't care. A little dirt never hurt anybody, but a shower did. The towel was tossed forcefully to the side as Edward quickly scrambled about trying to put some clothes on; dry warm clothes. Taking a shower used to be so natural, but now he couldn't even stand it. He hated the sound, the feel, the sight of water. Edward slipped the button down shirt on over his shoulders and pulled the pants over his legs. They were warm and comforting, almost like a blanket. He slowly stood up, making sure his automail foot was planted safely on the bath rug before he could fall and stared in the mirror. His ears were reluctantly still there, twitching to the freezing cold air around him. They were soaking wet just like his hair. The smooth sleek tail shivered behind him, almost tucked between his legs in fright. He couldn't take it. He couldn't even take a shower anymore like a human being. Edward reached down and picked it up. The warm touch of his flesh hand seemed to settle it down, loosening the stiff muscles in his joints. It curled slightly and he carefully wrapped it around his torso, the heat from his abdomen warming it even further. Edward buttoned his shirt down over top of it concealing it from sight. He looked up at his ears. How was he ever going to cover those up?

…

Roy hummed nervously to himself as he waited in the kitchen for Edward to finish his shower. The whistle from the water running hit his hears as he tapped his fingers across the table impatiently. Benjamin had turned in for the night after giving Edward his spare change of clothes. He was a little offset from how strange the kid was, and Roy didn't blame him. Fullmetal was acting jumpy, either snapping at everything he said, or dazing off into the distance as if trying to figure out some hard alchemic equation. It wasn't like Fullmetal to be so paranoid. His large house seemed to distract the kid long enough for him to act even slightly normal, but the instant Roy told him to take a bath, he went scampering off like a frightened cat. Roy thought that the kid would have calmed down a bit after they were away from those creeps at the restaurant for a while, but for some reason the he was still on edge. He looked guilty, as if he was a little kid hiding his wet sheets from his parents. Why wouldn't he give him the report? He hoped the kid didn't blame himself for what happened, whatever did happen? It looked like he was afraid of him as if scared he would send him back on another mission. He should never have sent him at all. Now the kid was hurting, probably mentally wounded from being kidnapped or something and it was his entire fault.

Roy shook his head to himself. He was probably still over reacting. The boy was alive right? There was no sense in babying him over such little things. _Little? He was missing for six whole bloody months!_ A guilt trap in his stomach flipped down again and he felt like he was going to be sick. Roy placed his head in his hands as he took a few stiff breaths trying to calm himself down. He should have known how dangerous it could have been. It was just a stupid research mission, a simple inspection but as he went over the facts in his mind all notes pointed to trouble. A couple military officers from different branches have gone missing and Edward was just supposed to look into it for him a bit. All he had to do was inspect a simple bar for any suspicious signs. Edward was a soldier, no matter how defiant and young the kid might be, he was still a part of the military. It should have been obvious that sending a single person in alone to inspect a place where their own kind have gone missing from was a terrible idea.

That was it. Instead of just wasting the kid's afternoon on the stupid mission, Roy took half a year of that kid's life that he couldn't give back. Something happened to the boy, something so bad he doesn't want to talk about it. Fullmetal was placing up all of these barriers around him as if he was afraid to let anyone near him. Roy didn't know whether he should just break down the walls the kid set up and demand his report from him, or try to press the kid into opening them up for him. Whichever he did, he couldn't just let Edward suffer by himself. He has done enough of that through the years, having to fend for himself and his brother without any mother or father. Roy at least had Madam Christmas and the girls at the bar to help raise him. He never actually knew what it meant to be alone. Maybe that was why he invited him to his house, to give the boy company for once. No, it was a simple matter of protection. Roy wouldn't have let Edward crawl back into his dorm just to get captured again. Those men were after him. They were the ones who did this to him. Roy gritted his teeth as he tried to remember the clear ugly look in those bastards' faces. They were going to pay for what they did to his subordinate.

Roy heard a dull clanking sound as Fullmetal's unmistakable footsteps came down the steps. Only a few moments later the swiveling wood door to the kitchen was propped open and the boy entered carrying the large cooking pot in his hands. He looked a little off in the clothes that he gave him, probably because they weren't black or that gaudy red. He sat down in a chair opposite of him at the kitchen countertop and slowly massaged his head with a fluffy towel that was draped over it. Roy wondered why the boy kept his hair so long if it was just a hassle to take care of. He noticed that the kid was still quite dirty and his long hair was still slightly matted as if he didn't care about washing them at pot clanked on the counter top as Fullmetal carelessly tossed it to the side. They both flinched a bit at the loud noise that it made but Edward didn't seem to pay it anymore heed. Roy thought it slightly strange that the boy absolutely refused to take the stupid thing off of his head at one moment and the next he was tossing it across the room like it was nothing more than a cooking pot, which it was. Roy rolled his eyes as he grabbed the small medical kit that was in front of him and scooted around the table to a space only a few inches away from his subordinate. The kid seemed to stiffen and eye him warily only relaxing when he saw that he was only armed with a medical kit.

"Come on, foot up on the table," Roy commanded him. Edward rolled his eyes and propped his foot up on the counter top. Roy had already pulled out the cotton swabs and disinfectant before he realized that the kid jokingly placed his metal leg up instead of his flesh one. He shot the kid a glare and shoved the metal thing away from him. "Ha, ha, very funny. Now, put your right foot up here," Roy said sarcastically. Edward grumbled to himself as he lifted his injured foot up on top of the table. It had several long thin gashes on the toes and ankles probably from where Edward tripped or fell. It looked bruised and battered, but thankfully nothing that needed anything more than a couple bandaids. Roy quietly thanked the lord at that since he only knew how to sear wounds shut with fire in cases of extreme emergency.

"I thought putting feet up on the table was bad manners," Edward smirked lightly to him as he poured some peroxide onto a cotton swab and started to wipe down the kid's wounds with it. He let out a silent hiss in pain as the solutions started to sting but nothing more came from him. Silence filled the house as the clock started to tick away towards twelve. Roy finished cleaning the boy's foot up and pulled out the gauze wrap and the ace bandage. Edward shifted around uncomfortable as he continued to dry his hair with the towel. It was obvious something was bothering him, but he didn't know what. It was like the boy was begging for a distraction as if to rip his mind from something. Roy waited patiently for the kid to do anything and that answer soon came in the form of a conversation.

"Colonel, I have one question. How the hell can you afford this kind of house under a military pay? I mean, I don't think the Fuhrer could even manage a house like this," Edward said quietly as he watched with interested eyes as he began to wrap his foot. He writhed around a bit, something still obviously bother him but the conversation seemed to be helping.

"Fullmetal, I think that is a bit of an overstatement," Roy chuckled lightly, mostly to himself. If he was going to break down the barriers, he might as well keep a light conversation with the kid and make him less queasy. It still scared him though that the strong kid he saw at the office a few months a go, was acting like a squirming, frightened cat in his kitchen. "I got this house with my inheritance from my parents. Madam Christmas gives me some money sometimes from the girls at the bar but that's only for some pocket money. She thinks it's her duty to make sure I don't fall to the dumps."

"I thought that was Hawkeyes job," Edward taunted. Roy gave him a threatening glare as he tied off the gauze on the kid's foot. "Why does she do that? I mean, no offense, but you're not really the first person I'd go to if I was giving away a butt ton of money." Roy grabbed the ace bandage and started to stiffly wrap the kid's foot up. He didn't really like talking about his family like it was some afternoon coffee hour, but the kid was curious. Roy already knew the basis of Edward's drastic life story, not in great detail, but enough. The kid also lived by the rule of equivalent exchange, though it was naive, it was fair right? He let out a sigh as he pinned the thing in place and shoved all of the equipment back into the medical kit.

"She's my foster mother," Roy muttered. The kid's eyes grew wide in surprise as a thick smile spread across his face, completely forgetting about the problems that were wracking his mind earlier. However, Roy knew that the boy just had a new weapon against him.

"No, way," he started. Roy shot him a warning glare but the kid didn't bay it any attention.

"Don't start."

"You, the great Flame Colonel-"

"Fullmetal-"

"Was raised by hookers?" Edward asked. Roy grumpily shoved the kid's foot off of the table. Edward started laughing as if he heard the world's funniest joke, he might as well have. "I can't believe it! What? I wasn't expecting that! I can't believe- this is crazy. I always thought you were a bum, but you turn out to be this stinking rich bastard with a butler, who was raise by women of the night!"

"Nice to know you think so highly of me," Roy growled at him. Edward snorted, obviously letting his imagination drag him along with the story. After a few moments of listening to Edward try to contain himself, Roy sighed heavily under his breath. This was why he didn't tell anyone. If Havoc got ear of this, he wouldn't hear the end of it. "Well, you got your question. Let me ask mine," he huffed hping to change the subject. "Is this really how well you take a shower?"

Edward suddenly fell silent, his smile wiping off imediately from his face. Roy stared at his subordinate a little unsettled by how fast the kid changed demeanors. What happened to him? Edward shifted around uncomfortably in his chair. He was slightly inching away from him like what he said could kill. Roy didn't even know what was the matter. The boy was probably still riled up from the events of that evening. Roy mentally slapped himself. He shoud have known that asking questions would have made the boy defensive, but what was so bad about what he said? He thought that he was avoiding the knew the kid didn't want to talk about anything related to the events that evening. In fact, that was what he was trying to avoid in the first place. The room was sent in utter silence as Roy cursed himself out with all his might silently. He was terrible at this stuff. He just wanted to help the kid out and lift the guilt off his shoulders from sending him into that mission in the first place. Now he felt like he was making it worse. The barriers were rapidly rebuilding themselves. Roy noticed that the kid pulled the towel tighter around his head as he trying to protect himself from something. What was with the kid and covering his head? It was like he was an animal hiding a wound from a predator. The kid squirmed in his seat uncomfortably.

"Everything alright?" Roy asked distantly under his breath. It was almost like he was asking that to everyone in the room, but only Edward sat there. Edward gave him a soft, halfhearted smile as if to assure him it was okay, but it was so distant Roy could barely see it. Roy sighed to himself as he stood up from his chair and picked up the medical kit.

"Alright shrimp, is there anything else that I need to know about before I put this away?" Roy said quickly changing the subject and giving the kit a good tap with his hand. Edward looked up and shook his head silently, with drawing even farther into his blanket. He didn't even yell at him for calling him short. Something was obviously up. Why was the boy covering his head like that? He knew the kid was prideful and didn't like to show himself in pain. Maybe he hit his head one too many times. Roy knew he was probably over reacting, but if the kid really did have something wrong with him, Roy would be stupid for letting it go and probably hurting the boy more. He slowly sat back down in the chair and stared at his shivering subordinate. He never noticed how cold he looked before.

"Fullmetal, let me look at your head," Roy ordered softly. Edward shook his head again and tightened his hold on the towel.

"No."

"You could have a serious concussion, Edward. I saw how many times you fell in the bar alone, plus the fact that you are sensitive to loud noises. Now let me see your head."

"I am not sensiti-"

CLAP! Edward flinched and covered his head in pain as Roy clapped his hands loudly. He felt bad for it, but he needed to make sure. The boy was doubled over in his chair clutching his head as the concussion obviously was wracking his brain. Roy waited for the boy to recover before he asked him one more time. Yet the boy still persisted.

"Colonel, I will just sleep it off-"

"You know that is even worse for a concussion, Fullmetal. Now. Give. Me. That. Towel. Or else I am going to rip it from your head myself," Roy demanded the kid. The boys eyes widened in fright as he realized Roy's determination to make sure his subordinate was alright. Roy saw his muscles stiffen as if he was going to bolt and he quickly reached his and out as the boy was racing to stand up. As Edward shot away from the kitchen counter, Roy snatched the towel from the kid's head and yanked it off. Edward, tumbled to the floor, frightened from the sudden change in elements and his arms flew over his head to try and do what the towel was doing before hand, cover something up. Roy was able to catch a small glimpse of a couple strange lumps protruding from his subordinate's head. They definitely weren't goose eggs. Everyone and everything in the room seemed to freeze. Roy stared at his subordinate, eyes wide as he tried to process everything. Edward was crouching on the ground with his head covered like he was trying to protect himself from a tornado. However, Roy was going to unleash an earthquake.

….

Edward's ears still rang from the loud clap that Mustang performed right next to him. He still wasn't used to this whole sensitive hearing and his ears seemed to like to amplify everything he did. He could hear his heart thump in his chest so loud it felt like the bass drum in a marching band. He could hear his automail clacking around as he trembled a bit in fear on the cold floor. Worse of all, he could hear the silence that spread through the room, only separated by their raspy breaths. Edward closed his eyes tight as if maybe the Colonel didn't see anything. Maybe if he acted like he wasn't there, the Colonel wouldn't see him and his freakish ears. His arms stayed clamped down around his head even as he heard the loud and thunderous footsteps of the Colonel slink over him. Edward didn't want to move.

"F-Fullmetal…. What was that?" Roy asked him. He could feel the fear, the shock, the guilt, flutter off of him even though his voice was trying to act professional. Edward clamped his hands tighter to his head, hurting his ears as they were smashed down into his skull. He didn't move. He refused to.

"Edward. Stand up," the man ordered him. Edward shook his head pitifully. He wouldn't let the man look at him. He knew he was acting childish, but what was one to do in a situation like this? Edward could just see the floating image of white men in lab coats glaring down at him. If anyone found out, there was nothing stopping him from going back there. He couldn't let anyone see him so pathetic. The Colonel bent down knelt down next to him.

"Edward, I command you to stand up," he said strictly, yet his voice quivered slightly. Edward shook his head again.

"What are you going to do? Court martial me?" he muttered pitifully into the floor. He felt a hand grab him on his shoulder. It wasn't rough, but it definitely was something that Edward couldn't handle. He shook trying to make the man let go. He hated being touched. He hated being handled. That was all the men in the lab did and he couldn't stand it. When the man's grip refused to falter, Edward felt the pressure nearly choke him. Why couldn't the man leave him alone? All he wanted to do was go back to his dorm. He wanted to get away from all of this. He wanted to be safe. He wanted Alphonse. Edward desperately squirmed around and sent a kick into his commanding officer's thigh. The man let out a groan and his hand slipped a bit allowing him enough time to scurry up to his feet and high tail it to the door. He needed to get out of there. He shoved his way through the kitchen door and started towards the entrance, but something shoved him from behind forcing him to the ground in a tackle. The man was on top of him, trying to pin him down. Edward couldn't stand it. He tried to claw his way out from underneath the man. His breaths came short and staggering as he knew he lost the battle. His ears folded down against his head in fear as he saw the large black eyes of his commanding officer stare down at him with a blank expression. Was he shocked? Was he disgusted? Was he terrified? Edward couldn't tell, all he could tell was that he suffocating himself, hyperventilating in a small self-inflicted panic attack. Everything started to swirl a bit as Edward's breaths came in deep and dramatic. Roy seemed to be snapped out of his trance at the sound of his subordinate suffocating and quickly stood up letting Edward take the personal space he so desperately needed. Edward pitifully pushed himself a few feet away from the man as if he was going to tackle him again. He was pathetic, but he couldn't help it. Roy simply stood there watching him pitifully fight off himself, gradually calming his erratic breathing.

"Edward-"

"No," he choked sending the man a desperate glare but the man didn't want to listen to him.

"Edward, please tell me there isn't a tail to match," Roy muttered. Edward winced at how desperate the man sounded. He looked down pitifully to the ground, not ready to admit what happened in those labs. If he did, the colonel might just send him back. Roy seemed to sway a bit and soon he was brought down to his knees by no other force but gravity. The loud thump that came from the floors rattled his ears and made him wince slightly as they twitched to throw the heavy sound away. He heard a low growl rise in the Colonel's throat. It was almost animalistic, but Edward didn't have much of a say in that part.

"Fullmetal….. what happened?" Roy's cold voice came out. He sounded cold, blood thirsty, but Edward couldn't tell for whom.

"N-no. Colonel, I don't want to go back," Edward stumbled over himself as he tried to bring himself to his feet. He was trembling so much that the world seemed to be tipping around him. He could just barely keep his balance. Roy noticed that he was moving and suddenly stood up after him, trying to get on the same level. Edward took a step backwards away from the man, all muscles in his being flexing. "Don't send me back there."

"Fullmetal," Roy's low, deep voice growled. He looked angry as if he could rip some one's head off. If he had his gloves Edward was sure that he would snap his finger at something, probably him. "I don't know how poorly you think of me, but _how_ could you even _think_ that I would send you back to those bastards? Now _give me your report!_" Edward froze as he stared back at his commanding officer. The man's dark eyes burned with absolute fury, anger, fear. He was angry, not at him, but at what happened to him. Edward looked away. He should have known that that man wouldn't have been so cruel as to send him back, but he just didn't know what to do. Something warm and soft flicked around his chest and he looked down at the long shirt that covered his torso. He sighed, upsettedly to himself as he gingerly lifted it up. His tail uncurled itself from his chest and fell down, swinging gently behind him. He felt Roy's eyes widen in shock, but the man wouldn't say anything. Edward hated the silence. He hated how the man stared at him like a freak. _But you are a freak._ Edward shook his head and stared down at the floor pathetically. His body let out a sad shiver and his tail gave a hard flick.

"I-It was always a trap," Edward muttered.

…..


	3. The Failed Report

_Authour's Note: Alright between now and sometime in the far future, there are a lot of time skips, everywhere. Its okay, keep your head on straight. These sections don't necessarily go in chronological order except with in the specific characters themselves. Most of Edward's story will be more or less chronological to himself while Roy's would be for him, however the two different sections might over lap in weird places. I am sure you can figure it out since the time and setting are written out but just a warning. _

_I hope you like this chapter, I am glad to see everyone loved the last one so much. I know this is a tad short but don't worry, its all okay._

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

CHAPTER 3

The Failed Report

The bar was a dinky little shack in one of the down town streets in Cental city. The windows were all dusty and hard to look into while some were even broken. The open sign hung limp over the door as one of the chains holding it up was rusted and bout to snap. Edward thought it needed a health inspector more than a military investigation, but they were both so high up on the list that he didn't mind knocking one off. He hated it that the Flame Bastard picked him out of all people to go on this mission, but he wasn't going to pout over it for hours. The sooner he did that man's bloody dirty work, the sooner he would be able to get back on that lead of the Philosopher's stone. Marco's notes weren't going to decode themselves. Alphonse was probably back in the library starting his search through them. Edward told him not to come since it was a simple investigation. He would be in and out within the hour, the report written by the end of the day. The notes were more important than him having someone to complain to about the mission.

Edward took a deep breath of fresh air before he stepped into the dark and dankly bar. The first thing he noticed about the bar was the millions of glares that were thrown his way. Gangly men sitting in half broken chairs stared at him like he was the pit of disgust. Yes, a kid in a bar was nothing to smile at, but he was there on military matters. He guessed that wasn't anything to smile at either. Edward kept a straight face as he walked over to the bar where the tender was wiping it down with a cloth. To say that she was a decent looking woman was an extreme over statement. The scowl on her face seemed to be permanently scarred there as if someone ingrained it into her skin with a welding rod.

"We don't serve kids. Now, get out," the woman demanded, her voice a bail of nails scratching out of her throat. Edward frowned as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his special watch. The woman caught the flash of it and bit her lip.

"I am here just to ask a few questions. Would you mind?" Edward asked stiffly. The colonel forced the idea of manners into him for investigations. He hated it, but bad cop only goes so far. A twinge went through him. He guessed that Alphonse always played the nice boy during these things. It was just how their personalities were ingrained. _Oh well, one time won't hurt._ The woman across from him grimaced as she tossed the dirty rag on the table. Edward noticed that it was no cleaner than it was when she started. She motioned over to him and quickly walked to the back of the bar. Edward, without hesitation, followed. She lead him back through the kitchen and into a small office. Papers were flung around in a mess and the entire room smelled like ash from a cigarette. The woman sat down in the chair behind the desk and quickly picked up a lite to smoke. For some reason, Havoc's vice was a lot more comforting than hers.

"You know that's a fire hazard," Edward commented as he walked a little deeper into the office. The woman just snarled at him.

"Get on with your questions boy. I don't have all day," she huffed as she took a drag from her smoke. She motioned to a chair, but Edward looked down at in in disgust. It was grimy and covered in dirt. There was no way in hell that he was setting his ass down on that.

"I am here about the missing military officials. Some witnesses said that they saw them come in here for one reason or another. Tell me what you know," Edward said smoothly. The woman smirked as if what he said was the most hilarious thing she had ever heard.

"Well, it looks like you came to the right person. I am both the tender and the owner of this fine facility," she said dramatically like it was a joke. Edward frowned at her comment. It was obvious she didn't give two shits about her own business. The woman blew out a cloud of smoke and stabbed the cigarette into the ash tray with ferocity. "Though it might not look it, I have no problem with folks from the military. I even give out discounts to the occasional, rare fellow that comes in. However, lately, I couldn't say that anyone of that sort came in here."

"No one?" Edward asked questionably. "When was the last time an officer came in?" he interrogated but the woman shrugged. Edward couldn't believe it. Granted the woman might be lying, but why was he there if the leads were dead?

"I think… well other than you that is… eight months ago," she answered plainly. Edward froze. That was definitely not right. The last time a soldier went missing was just last month.

"a-are you sure?" he questioned. The woman rolled her eyes and nodded her head.

"As sure as you are standing in front of me," she huffed.

"Look, these people couldn't have just disappeared out of nowhere-"

"And I know that, but I know nothing else. If you are looking for suspicious characters, this bar is full of them, but if you are looking for soldiers, there ain't any here kiddo," her gargle voice scolded him. Edward growled under his breath in frustration, but he took a deep breath to cool himself down. He couldn't get too aggravated. He gave the woman a tight smile and nodded his head stiffly.

"Well, thanks, sorry to make you leave the bar like that," Edward breathed. He turned to leave but the woman gave a marbling sigh.

"God kid, look, if it helps you at all I could tell you about a few strange customers that were scrounging in here a few days ago." Edward turned and looked back at her. She stood up from her chair and walked around her desk. She picked up her ash tray and dumped it in the trash can that was already over spilling with paper. Edward could smell the old ashes as a small cloud puffed up into the room. "There were some strange guys, I think they were scientists of some sort. I don't know. They only started to come in every day since last Tuesday. I think they were talking about that case you got there, you know, gossip girls. Yeah, I don't know about them, even my normal customers are kind of sketchy, but they just don't feel right. It's sort of like a sense or something, animal instincts or whatever you want to call it."

"_Really?_ Do you think their coming in today?" Edward asked her. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Hell if I know. If you want a word, I guess I can call some of you guys up or something when they show their faces, but other than that kid, you're on your-" she started but there was a sudden bang as the door was broken open. Edward spun around to see four overly large men standing in the doorway. Edward instantly knew what that woman meant by animal instincts. The hairs on the back of his neck raised with static as the people strode casually into the room. The tender behind him growled as the intruders made their way over.

"Hey! You're not allowed back here! This is a private-"

"Are these those scientists?" Edward asked interrupting her. He took a stiff glance over to the woman and she gave a stiff nod. He smirked a bit as he turned back to the men. One of them was wearing a lab coat while the others just looked like buff sweetened goons. "Perfect timing, I have been wanting a little chat with you," Edward said. Some of the men reached carefully to their pockets. Edward noticed some metal glinting from them. They were obviously armed. He frowned as the lab coated jerk smile grew.

"Well, that is perfect. I have been wanting a meeting with you too, Mr. Alchemist," he replied happily. Edward could have gagged at the man's voice. He saw one of the guys start to pull something out of their pocket. Edward clapped his hands and slammed them to the ground. A solid wall brought itself up between them and the men as he heard the shot fire. There was a loud crackle through the air as the tranquilizer was set off. Edward scrambled back to the rear wall, pulling the frightened woman behind him. He clapped his hands and quickly made a large hole in the wall. He pushed the woman towards it.

"Promise I will fix everything, just keep your head down," Edward told her as she scampered out. The woman quickly tumbled out of the way and into the alley behind the bar. There was the sudden flash of alchemic energy behind him as strangely the wall he created was deteriorated. That wasn't just a scientist, he was an alchemist.

"Come on, back here kid. We don't want any fuss," the man growled.

"Well it sure doesn't look that way," Edward growled as he pulled the steel blade out of his automail and charged the man. Just as he was going to take a slice of scientist cake, there was another loud crack as something nailed him in the right shoulder. A huge wave of roaring pain was sent up his automail and into his port. His nerves were set a lite as the volts of electricity were pacting their way into his metal limb, frying the nerves. His shaking, jolting body fell to the floor as he tried to make his arm move, but it wouldn't budge. The man started to walk towards him, teeth baring. Edward clumsily reached behind him with his left arm fumbling for something to use against the man. His hand landed on the ash filled rubbish bin. He grabbed the rim and flung it furiously at him. It smacked the guy across the head, skewing his dorky thick glass across his smug face. The instant it made contact though, there was a man on top of him, pinning his hurting shoulders to the ground. Edward tried to thrash the man off, but his heavy set body wouldn't budge. Without the use of his automail arm Edward couldn't get a good grip on the man to pull himself away. The man was heavy and slowly put pressure on his chest making it hard to breath. Edward growled at him as if that would scare him off but the man wasn't fazed. He attempted to reach over and clap his left hand to his immobile right but they were no sooner to touching before they were slammed apart from each other and pinned to the floor by another goon. The scientist snarled angrily as he gave a gruff kick to the trash bin That Edward threw at him.. His face was covered in soot as he straightened his grimy glasses.

"Knock him," he snipped at one of the men beside him. The clumsy fool rushed over to where Edward was struggling. He felt a sudden prick in his neck and the world slowly started to spin around him. The pressure on his shoulders slowly released and Edward groggily tried to get up. This was bad. The room was twirling out of control and his balance was so off, he didn't even know if his feet were touching the floor or not. His arms were tugged into some strange direction and he fell backwards into the deep black abyss.

…

Roy glanced at the clock. The ticking smacked his ears with every second the thing was alive. Roy wanted to kill it. Bells rang out and filled the silent office signaling the approaching hour of ten. He groaned to himself as he folded his hands together propping his tired head up on them. This wasn't right.

"Sir, it is getting late. I think it would be wise if you went home and got some sleep," Hawkeye said beside him. Roy jumped a tiny bit not noticing that she had snuck up on him. He looked down at his desk. For once, there wasn't any paper work on it. _There should be._ Roy swayed his head pathetically to himself. He actually found himself wanting more paperwork. He still needed Fullmetal's report. The job shouldn't have taken him twelve hours. The kid should have been back here rubbing his report in his face hours ago. Maybe the kid is just slacking off. Fullmetal did that sometimes… not really. For a teenager, the boy worked curiously hard to keep his job, unlike him. He heard the loud abnoxious ticking of the clock beside him. He just wanted it to stop. What if something happened to the kid? It was just a simple investigation, what could have went so terribly wrong.

"Sir, Fullmetal will turn his report in in the morning. Go get some rest. Don't want him running you over tomorrow, do you?" Hawkeye told him, setting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. It was as if she sensed his stress from across the street. He hated how mothering she was over him, but it sometimes was okay to have a bit of reassurance in his life. He massaged his temple with the palms of his hands and then slowly stood up from his desk. He was just over reacting right? The kid will be back in the morning. Fullmetal probably thought it funny to take his time and make him wait for his work like an obedient dog. He calmly took hold of the lieutenant's hand and set it back down to her side.

"He will be back in the morning right?" he said, almost like a question. The woman just gave him a blank, warm stare. They didn't know.

….

Edward's eyes flickered open, and the first thing he saw was the silvery metallic floor. _Well, this is a good way to start the morning._ His body ached terribly and his right shoulder port roared with pain. He closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to focus on making his swimming headache calm down. He could feel the pulse pound against his skull, it was slow, strangely slow, but powerful to knock a rhinosaurus out. He tried to flex his arm a bit, but through the roar of his shoulder port, only his pinky and ring finger would move. He groaned to himself. This wasn't a good day for him. Using his left arm, Edward flipped himself over onto his back. He opened his eyes again just to find the silvery metallic ceiling a good three feet over him.

"W-what?" he asked himself weakly. Edward quickly spun back around on his stomach and looked out to find the other walls of where ever he was. There was one directly in front of him, again solid metal. He spun around quickly, narrowly avoiding hitting his head off of the low ceiling to look at his feet. Instead of being a completely closed in box, the walls where his feet were had bars instead of a solid wall. It was almost like a cage. _It is a cage you dip shit._ Frantically, Edward pulled himself up to the bars and looked out around him in panic. He must have been on the bottom row, since he was so close to the floor. The room was dimly lit, and he couldn't see very far, but he caught sight of some cages across the room. They looked empty, but something told him that they weren't. High pitched whimpers seemed to emancipate around him. He heard claw scratching on the metal next to him and the strong smell of iron and ammonia filled the room. He nearly gagged at it. It was exactly what he smelled when they found Tucker and…. Oh shit. Edward quickly flustered to clap his hands together. The instant they made contact, he slammed them to the bars of the cage. There was nothing, no alchemic sizzle, no bending of metal, there was nothing. Edward's heart nearly stopped. He slapped his left hand to his right again and tried once more. Nothing.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" he quickly whined to himself as he tried over and over again to break the bars somehow. He even tried to kick them out, but they wouldn't seem to budge. There was a heavy padlock on the door and he couldn't snap it. Just as Edward was about to punch the bars, a blinding white light filled the room. Edward crouched down and covered his eyes with his arm trying to protect them from being burnt out of his head. Large footsteps followed in, what seemed like multiple people, and they seemed to stop right in front of his cage.

"This is him? What am I supposed to do with a kid? I thought I told you to grab soldiers," the man's voice came out close to his head. Edward dared to look up into the blinding light. That man was wearing a sparkling white lab coat, but he wasn't the same as the man from the bar, at least he didn't think. His memory was still fuzzy since those volts of electricity were shot through him. The man was cleanly shaved and had burnt black hair. He almost looked like the Colonel, except his eyes were a fiery blue. They scorched down at him as Edward blankly looked back at him. His mind was still foggy as the head ache pounded through his head.

"He is a soldier, a state alchemist. He came to the bar investigating our false leads," another man replied. Edward couldn't see his face, but it sounded like the cocky bastard who he threw the rubbish bin at.

"Great, just great. We were supposed to try the new circle on this guy. We can't do it on a shrimp, he'll be imbalanced by the mass ratio!"

"Who you calling small?" Edward croaked out, his voice a bit hoarse from lack of use. The man looked down at him in surprise as if not expecting him to be responsive. He knelt down even farther and leaned in close to his cage as if looking at an exhibit in the zoo.

"You're up already? Heesh, it took the other guys a couple more hours to even blink. That's tough gut's kid," the man chuckled cruelly. Edward glared up at him but the man just laughed some more. The man turned around and smiled back at the other man. "Well, we could use him I guess. His stamina seems strong enough. Let's just give him a physical and then balance out that equation." The other guy must have nodded his head because the scientist sighed to himself and turned back to the cage giving Edward a pathetic look. It was like he was looking at something only slightly less than human. Edward glared at the man angrily.

"Well, Jackson, I am disappointed that you didn't grab a real soldier. The paperwork on alchemists is always harder to clean up and they are definitely more feisty than the rest," the man said giving him a special look. Edward wished that he could strangle the man or at least bite him. "Well, we have to use what we got. I am upset that we have to change animals since the kid's mass ratio is so different than what we expected-"

SLAM! The instant Edward heard the man start to mention the transmutation, he lost it. He quickly reached his good arm through the bars and grabbed a hand full of the man's shirt, smashing his head into the door of his cage. The man let out a yelp and tried to pull back, but Edward yanked him back and slammed his head again.

"You bastards! You fucking low life bastards. Changing soldiers into freaks and you're worried about what animal you use? Let me out of here or I am going to strangle your throats! Better yet, LET ME OUT SO THAT I _CAN_ WRING YOUR NECKS." Edward smashed the scientist's head into the door one more time before his buddy decided to do anything about it. Jackson, or who he presumed was Jackson, bent down and quickly grabbed the man, ripping him from Edward's iron hold. After getting his buddy to safety, the man came back and kicked the door of his cage roughly in anger. Edward tumbled back a bit from the force and his headache was sent reeling again. The man continued to kick the cage door, winding up and slamming his booted foot back to the metal, making a loud obnoxious clanging noise. It seemed to never stop. Edward growled at the man and swung his arm out through the bars again. He pinned the guys boot to the door catching him off balance and quickly flung it upwards. The man flipped backwards to the floor. Edward smiled to himself, congratulating himself for humiliating the bastards, but a sudden air of icy laughter filled the room. Edward looked back out to see the first scientist hysterically laughing on the floor. Edward snarled at the man as if that would shut him up. There was a giant growing pit in his stomach.

"What did I tell you Jackson? Feisty. Well, I think we can take care of that," the man's cold voice came out. He shakily stood up from the ground. Blood was spilling out of the man's obviously broken nose, and he had a few forming bruises on his brow. Edward hoped that he gave the man a severe concussion at least or did some permanent damage to his face. The scientist toed his stunned colleague with the toe of his boot. "Come on, Jackson, give the boy a bath."

…

Edward was back in his tiny cage shivering and soaking wet. The men had dragged him out of the strange kennel and struggled to take him to a large empty cement room. They sprayed him. Like a dog getting punished for pissing on the carpet, they squirted him in the face with water, except, that tiny spray bottle was a jet hose. Edward's chest burned as his skin was rubbed red with the constant harassment of the water and his lungs were on fire from nearly suffocating, drowning in the stream. The clothes on his back stuck to his skin as they felt to be a ton from all the water they absorbed. He was tired, he was wet, and the only thing Edward could even dream about doing, was sleeping this day all off and waking up in his own bed. Unfortunately, he had the deep dark feeling that he wouldn't be waking up in his dorm room the next morning.

…

Roy knocked on the doors of Fullmetal's dorm room and waited impatiently for someone to answer. His foot was tapping on the cold carpeted floor as his hands here shoved deep into his pockets in anticipation. It was already noon and Edward was still yet to be seen somewhere in the military Head Quarters let alone his office. Roy was starting to panic. The kid was a heavy sleeper, but not this bad. He definitely had enough time to write the report and turn it in even if he was working with his thumb up his butt. As the silence rang on even more, Roy knocked on the door hardly, under the golden numbers 310. Some of the younger recruits who were walking down the halls stared at him awkwardly. It wasn't normal to see a high ranking officer in the dorms. Mostly young soldiers or newbies stayed in the small rooms the military provided for them since their paychecks didn't buff out yet. Havoc, though already a second lieutenant with a fair salary, stayed in one of the government housings. It was an apartment so definitely an improvement from the small compacted dorm rooms that Fullmetal and Fuery stayed in. Colonel was able to convince the managers of the buildings into giving Fullmetal a single room because of his title as a state alchemist. With his rank as a major, Fullmetal probably could have stayed in his own house, let alone apartment, but since the kid was on the go so often, there wasn't a point in wasting all the money.

As Roy was about to knock one more time, extremely frustrated that no one was even answering his desperate cries at the door, the room swung open and the heavy set figure of Alphonse stood in front of him. The kid was quiet, which wasn't saying much but Roy didn't feel right. Though the kid was calm, rational, and definitely not obnoxious like his brother was, the sullen and dreary silence that came out of the armour was deafening and made Roy's mind immediately flick on in alert. Where was the usual cheery hello? More importantly, where was the good morning curses from Fullmetal?

"A-alphonse, I came by to pick up your brother's report. It seems he fell asleep again and forgot to turn it in. Could you get him?" Roy said in his business voice. He was going to act professional about this, even though the situation didn't seem quite appropriate. Alphonse shook his head upsettedly, the metal of his armoured head creaking a bit from lack of oiling.

"C-Colonel, I-I don't know w-where he is. H-he never showed up to the L-library yesterday. He d-didn't even come back to the d-dorm. What if something happened to him?" Alphonse cried desperately. Roy seemed to freeze in his place. His feet and shoulders seemed abnormally heavy.

"Alphonse, what-"

"It isn't like him to just leave me there! There has to be a reason!" Alphonse started up again, completely ignoring Roy's attempts to calm him down. Roy could tell that the kid wanted to shed a few tears, but he couldn't. The poor kid. "What happened on the mission?" Roy took that last part as a slap in the face. What did happen on the mission? It was supposed to be simple, in and out, but the kid was missing for twenty four hours. What did he send his subordinate into? His stomach dropped and flipped around as a beast called guilt started to settle there. Roy knew he was definitely over reacting. Fullmetal probably just stayed over at a friend's house or something. Maybe he got a little too involved in the mission and wanted to ask _everyone_ about the missing soldiers. Yet, the feeling in his gut was ever persistent and dread seemed to wash over him. Yes, he definitely wasn't over reacting.

"Alphonse, I don't know that was what the report was for," Roy said shakily, still trying to keep his business façade going. He didn't want to rip the kid's hope to shreds, but he couldn't break down. He needed to stay calm, and get to the bottom of this.

…


	4. Grim Defeat

_Authour's Note: Alright another short one coming your way, but its alright. Hope you all like it!_

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

CHAPTER 4

Grim Defeat

Edward grinned devilishly as he managed to kick one of the goons in their face. He knew that he broke the man's nose as he heard a satisfying crunch beneath his bare automail foot. The man sent out curses as he was sent to the floor but another man soon took his place. Someone was behind him trying to pick his upper body up with a head lock. Edward tried to punch the guy's head with his free arms but the man was relentless. Some of the big burly men were trying to get his feet locked together but none of them came close. Edward swung his leg out again and nailed another man in the shoulder, sending him spinning into one of the stacks of cages with what looked to be snake dog combinations. They clattered to the floor and a loud series of yelps, howls, and barks roared out from around the room. Edward could barely hear himself think let alone what the scientists were shouting at each other. He reached back to try and grab a lock of the man's hair that was holding him to give it a sharp tug, maybe to rip it out of his head, but of course the man was bald. _Just your luck._

"Let me go! Goddamn it!" Edward growled as he managed to plow another man into the lab table that was set up in the middle of the room. The man hit the hard floor with a few shattered beakers and syringes. Edward scowled as the man behind him tightened his grip around his chest. The air felt like it was slowly being pressed out of him. Suddenly he felt himself swing to the side as another man tried to get his legs together. They were slammed into the side of the cages and pinned there as someone wrapped their arms tightly around them. Edward tried to shake the man off, but the guy had an iron grip. His legs were quickly bound together by leather hospital restraints before the man shoved himself away from him. Edward tried to twist himself out of the man's head lock but he was quickly dropped to the floor. Baldie forced his arms behind his back and no sooner have they been pinned there, Edward felt the leather cuffs slide on around his wrists. He growled, cursed, and writhed around as if the men might just suddenly decide to let him go, but it was no use. If anything, all of the people in the building now were wanting his flesh. Over the course of the past few weeks, Edward managed to break ten noses, deliver twenty black eyes, several concussions, and bite even more hands than there were fingers. Everyone was in pain. Those numbers have been falling drastically though, now that the scientists were getting smarter, quicker, while he was going downhill

The men have only been feeding him some sort of watery substance in exchange for solid food. They were trying to purge his system of any anomalies so that their experiment wouldn't go a rye. It wasn't logical that the men would try to starve him since he overheard that they needed to keep his strength, no matter how violent it could be, to endure their terrible schemes. The water was most likely nutrient enhanced, but it did little to satisfy his deep burning desire for food. At one point, Edward tried to starve himself so that he wouldn't be well enough to go through with the plans, but he just found himself waking up with an IV in his arm pumping the nutrients into him. As much as he hated to satisfy his captors, Edward did force himself to drink that substance again by his own will because his hatred for needles outweighed everything, and being in a strange lab filled with crazed scientists meant that there was a lot of them.

After managing his many attacks on the scientists, Edward found out a lot about the people who kidnapped him and locked him away in a tiny metal cage. They all loved corporal punishment. Along with every violent outbreak, every broken bone he delivered, Edward had to face the hose. They were practically treating him like an animal that had to be punished for clawing up the furniture, their faces. His clothes were wrinkled and grime covered, his shoes were missing, and he smelled like the nasty kennel he had been sleeping in for so long. It felt like he practically was an animal. It wasn't like he expected anything more from them, but it had him fearing, what if he didn't make it out in time? As they days and weeks drew on, Edward only could imagine that the experiment was coming closer. He heard many of the scientists talk about the formula they finally balanced and the new circle that they never used before. They had no clue what to expect and Edward was terrified. He fought every day, at every available hour just so the slim chance that he did get in a good hit, he would be out and away from those freaks. He would risk another walk in with the sprayer if it meant not stepping foot near their self-proclaimed transmutation circle, however, he could still find himself cringing at the very thought of the water being turned on in his face again. It seemed like the 'baths' were getting longer and longer, suffocating him just a little bit more every time. He actually caught himself thinking twice now on whether or not to gouge some man's eyes out.

Edward's entire body was strapped down to a gurney that the men used to transport him. Obviously, everyone wished that he would just relax enough for them to take him on a nice and easy stroll to the next lab down the hall, but they didn't want their nuts to be bashed into their skulls. He glowered up at the ceiling as the scientists with the banged up and bruised faced glared down at him with blood lust. Edward noticed that he managed to knock out a few of their teeth over the time he was there, and he was rather satisfied that they were looking uglier everyday due to his iron fist. Florescent lights passed over his head as he was wheeled down through the corridors of the strange place. The hallways, he noticed, seemed to have a slight curve to them and the electrical wires were posted up on the walls and near the ceiling rather than inside them. He was probably underground somewhere, somewhere that no one would find him. Edward shook that thought from his head. Someone would get to him in time if he didn't break out before hand, just stay positive. Yet, it was kind of hard to stay positive if you couldn't even move your arms. They entered a room that had the exact same ceiling as the hallway, white and boring. He heard a voice come out from his right as another scientist poked his head above him. It was Doc, the guy who he so happily smashed the face of on his first day.

"Alright, shrimp, time for your physical. Aren't you excited?" the man said dripping with sarcasm. _God, he even sounds like Colonel Bastard._

"Call me small and I will shove something physically painful right up your ass," Edward growled under his breath. The man ignored him as he seemed to be studying his appearance under judgmental eyes as he loosened some of the straps that bound his chest and waist to the cart. Edward tried to wriggle out from underneath them but he knew it was no use. There was no way that they were fully going to unbind his wrists or ankles from each other. He would have just been a worm on the floor. Doc nodded his head to the goons around him and they quickly left the room. He quickly returned to him and untethered the last strap that was confining him to the gurney and helped him sit up. The room was cleared out and clean all except for a few strange equipment scattered around the place. It looked like a doctor's office with the examination table, weighing station, and eye charts. There were many posters of different animal anatomy, their bones all showing and labeled. Edward shivered slightly and quickly tried to block them from his vision. He saw what some of the failed transmutations looked like when the scientists dragged them back through the kennel to be locked up again, he didn't want to become one of those. _You won't become one of those because you're getting out of here._

"Jackson, come over here and help me get the subject to the table," Doc ordered to the grumpy man Edward didn't notice was standing in the corner. jackson obviously didn't like him. It was a positive fact that he gave that man the most gut punches, nose bleeds, and concussions over all. The man hated him ever since he decided to smash his nose in because he got a little too close. Edward got the hose for that, but it developed an ever lasting hatred among the scientist and the subject. He staggered over, not without an angry glare, and leaned forward as if to lift him up.

"Don't touch me," Edward hissed at him venomously. The man seemed to hesitate a bit but thought better than to listen to an immobilized kid. As he leaned in and wrapped his arms behind his back and legs, Edward smashed his head down into the other man's. Jackson cursed to himself as he quickly dropped him back on the mobile bed, clutching his head in pain. Yes, Edward's head throbbed a bit too, but not as bad as that guy was making it out to be. Doc seemed to be laughing at his colleague's injury. Edward growled as the man tried to take another step closer to him.

"I said, don't touch me," he snarled at him. Doc seemed to stop in his place, but his hysterical smile was still in place.

"Got a case of Haphephobia don't we? Though I never saw a person have an aggressive reaction to it before, but I guess that is supposed to be expected from an angsty alchemist like you," he said happily as if it was as normal as getting the common cold. "Well, come on Jackson, don't just sit there." Doc gruffly grabbed Edward from under the shoulders while Jackson, only slightly revived from his possible concussion, grabbed his legs. Jackson seemed a little more comfortable now that he was away from his head, but Edward introduced him to the pain his feet liked to deal out. He awkwardly slid is weight backwards and then launched his tethered feet into Jackson's stomach. The man toppled over and dropped him, but Edward was already halfway onto the examination table so he didn't go crashing to the ground. Doc rolled his eyes and shoved Edward's feet up onto the table. He separated the tethers and bound them to the corners of the table, and then did the same with his arms. Edward tried to make a punch at him in the spare moment, but the man was a lot stronger than the wimp Jackson was. As soon as everything was situated, Doc pulled out a clip board. It was like the man really was playing doctor and patient. He scribbled down a few different things here and there and eyed him for a bit before writing some more things down. He hummed to himself. Edward rolled his eyes and glared at the ceiling trying to block the whole scene out of his head. He hated doctor's offices more than anything. Alphonse knew how much of a pain he could be. His heart tinged a bit at the thought of his brother. He was probably worried to death about him. To the best of his knowledge, he has been there for well over a month now, maybe two. He didn't even tell Alphonse he couldn't meet him at the Library. He was probably still waiting there if not out trying to find him. Edward flinched as something cold slithered its way up his nasty ragged shirt. Doc was looking down at him with a stethoscope on, checking his heart rate. Edward squirmed around slightly as the cold device slid around on his chest. Seeming satisfied, the Doc gave a curt nod and pulled the stethoscope out of his ears, writing something else on the clip board.

"Should have expected such a good heart from a soldier like you, but we always need to check," the man said smiling at him. He reached down and pulled out an arm pressure. He strapped it around his left arm and pumped it up a few times checking his pulse. "Well, you are sure healthier than nearly a thousand oxes. That is amazing compared to the fact that we used some really healthy soldiers nearly twice your age in the last experiment. The boss will definitely be thrilled."

"Boss? What the hell are you playing at?" Edward asked him gruffly. The man smiled down at him as if he wasn't offended at all, but his eyes were cold like the always were, blue hell fire burning in them.

"Well, you don't really expect me to do this entire experiment by myself, or Jackson over there either. The boss is just the head scientist. I already sent him a few things that we picked out on your file to him. It was strange on how little we found, but I guess you can say that's better for us to clean up if you don't turn out right. He would be even more excited when we finally get you out of here and into that circle. He has been wanting to try it for a while now and it is finally perfected. You will be our first go. Lucky you," doc cheered as he ripped the arm band off of him. Edward felt his stomach drop and wondered if the man could be able to feel it down in his feet.

"So what does your boss only want with soldiers?" Edward asked through the swirling of his mind. The man chuckled lightly a bit.

"You know I like you, well, as much as a scientist could like a lab rat, but anyhow, you are definitely much more exciting than the other subjects we had. I still wish you were older though, maybe then we could have mixed you with a wolf or something bigger like that. That would have been interesting," the man said half mindedly as he pulled out a clear piece of plastic. He held it up near Edward's face along with a tiny light. "Alright, open up and say ahh," he ordered. Edward clamped his teeth shut and glared at the man. Doc sighed to himself and turned around.

"Jackson~" the man sang. He heard a grumble come from the constantly abused man and soon the ugly mug of Jackson came over and stooped over him. His hands came down and tried to force Edward's mouth open. Edward tried to keep his mouth closed, or even try to bite the man, but it soon was forced open. Doc placed the piece of clear plastic into the opening and Jackson stepped back. The thing was propping his mouth forcibly open and Edward almost gagged with it in his mouth. Doc went down with the flash light to check his throat. He gave a quick hum and then stood up and pulled the plastic out of his mouth.

"Well, to answer your question, someone of unknown origins to me, hired the boss to help make some….. unique people for them. I don't know who it is or what in the world they could want _you_ for, but they had specific requests for just military soldiers." The Doc quickly lifted up his shirt and started to feel Edward's stomach for any anomalies, humming to himself here and there. Edward glared up at him and the man smirked back down as if lightly amused.

"You probably think that the work we do here is inhumane… and it is. But if you look at the big picture here, we are just trying to advance human evolution. It is a simple idea. I mean, who wouldn't want to be a step ahead of the game? Animals aren't vulnerable to the same things we are and vise versa. Just think, if this turns out right, you could be the next science wonder. Either that or you could just die a terrible death at the hands of some alchemists with a dream," the man cruelly said. Edward stiffened. That bastard. He was trying not to think about dying that day. What these men were doing was disgusting. It was horrid. It was trying to play god which was what humans were never meant to do. He knew by experience. However, he didn't want to picture what the next transmutation would feel like if he survived. Chimera transmutations were simply biology related circles, they weren't full human transmutation, but Edward had the feeling these guys would try anything. Doc reached down and untethered his hands from the bed before quickly putting them back together. Edward didn't struggle as much as he did before. He couldn't, not with the word death on his mind. Why did he even go on that stupid mission in the first place? Why couldn't he have just run when he had the chance in that office? Why couldn't he just transmute himself out of this place and be free? Well, that was simple, he couldn't transmute anymore. The scientists managed to find out how to block alchemy flow through a person with a simple shot. He was given a syringe with a strange green liquid once a week. He didn't know how it worked or where it came from but it somehow managed to prevent him from reaching his gate. He knew his gate was there, he knew the equations and circles, but he simply couldn't reach it. If he did still have his alchemy, Edward had a good guess that he could have escaped a long, long time ago. Doc and Jackson set him down on a cold metal tray. The men stepped away for a bit and he heard a few buttons beep and click. The Doc let out a shocked sound as he looked down at something that must have been a digital screen.

"Whoa kid. Those limbs must be weighing you down. That number isn't natural for a kid like you," the man chuckled as he gave a light tap on his right automail shoulder. Edward growled at him but he didn't seem to pay any attention. He scribbled another number down on his note pad and tossed it down on a desk somewhere. He and Jackson picked him up again and he was soon set back down on the gurney and strapped to it again. Edward struggled and twisted a bit but he knew that he wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon. Doc tossed the clipboard down on top of his chest as he started to push him out of the room. Lights past overhead and Edward knew that he was being taken back to that dark dingy, awful smelling kennel. He pulled lightly at his wrists but they wouldn't budge. It took only a few minutes before he was back in the room, a crowd of scientists already waiting for the battle of putting him back in his cage. He heard a clack as the door was unlocked and men quickly undid the straps around him. Some of the people reached down to completely undo the tethers around his wrists but Doc waved them off.

"Just the feet for now men. We will need them tomorrow for the final procedure," he said. Edward paled as the men tied his hands back together in the leather cuffs and started to loosen his feet. Tomorrow. It was tomorrow. There wasn't enough time between now and then. There was never enough time to begin with. Edward needed to get out of there, he needed to get out of there now. The instant one of the men released his feet, they were kicked into the air, knocking two scientists in the heads. Edward awkwardly jolted up from where he was lying down and slammed himself as hard as he could to the man who was closer to the door. He so happened to be Jackson. They fell to the floor, leaving the rest of the group a bit stunned. Edward shot up from the floor and bolted out the carelessly aloof door. He heard shouts, both man and animal, come from the Kennel as he sprinted down the hallways as fast as he could. He was not staying any longer. He didn't have time. Though it was hard to run with both of his hands behind his back, he swore he would have ran through Drachma if he had to in order to get away from these crazy people. He would escape and he would warn everyone of what was going on, then no one would have to test that stupid circle of theirs. Footsteps stormed behind him as he spun around and tried to get in through one of the doors. It was of course locked. He cursed to himself as he sped down the hallway just that many seconds closer to the hands of his pursuers. Door by door he passed, not even checking to see if they would open for him. He didn't know what he was looking for, maybe a huge exit sign with glowing red arrows, but who in their right mind would put that above a door? He kept running and running until he spotted his salvation in the form of a stair well. He sprinted towards it and kick slammed the door open. It thankfully wasn't locked. He bolted through it and started climbing. He didn't know how far up he had to go, but anywhere was better than the basement. He huffed up the stairs as he heard the scientists chasing him trying to shove their way through the door way. There were too many of them to be effective in a fight. As Edward climbed he noticed that the levels were so nicely marked for him. Sub 4, sub 3, sub 2, sub 1, ground! Edward quickly tried to ram his way through the door but he slammed head first into it. The door was locked.

"How- what?" He panicked to himself as he tried to break his way through. There was a small window from the stairwell door that he could look out of. The interior of whatever laid beyond was white, but filled with sunshine other than florescent light bulbs. He spotted a nurse clad in white walk out of a door a little ways away. It was a hospital. Edward banged the door trying to grab the woman's attention but suddenly he heard a shout behind him and he was slammed into the wall. A warm leathery hand was placed over his mouth as body upon body piled on top of him pinning him down.

"Don't sedate him! We can't have those chemicals in his body!" Doc exclaimed but suddenly, the door was opened and the nurse poked her head in. Everyone in the stairwell froze as she woman stared baffled at them.

"C-can I help you doctors?" She asked a little confused to see a bunch of men and a ruffled looking teenager fighting on the staircase. Edward struggled to get out of the mens' grip but there was too many of them. Doc straightened out his lab coat a bit more professionally and gave a twinkling smile at the woman.

"Ahh, yes, well, you see, one of my patients from the psyc ward," he said nodding his head backwards to where Fullmetal was writhing in the peoples' arms. "He, well…. He became a little aggressive since Jackson here," he snipped glaring at the random scientist, "mentioned his deceased mother in one of his sessions. As you can see he did quite a number on my colleague. We tried to restrain him obviously, but he bolted." Edward furrowed his eyebrows and growled. Against his fighting will not to, Edward licked the man's hand that was covering his mouth. The man pulled back in disgust and Edward's mouth was free for a good few seconds.

"Don't bring my mother into this you bastard! You're trying to kill me down there! It's not a psyc ward it's a-" he shouted at the top of his lungs but the hand was quickly slapped back over his mouth muffling any words into dull blabber. Edward seethed and thrashed about trying to shove, push, and throw the men off of him. Doc gave a nervous smile at the nurse who paled a bit from his explosion.

"A-as you see he is a bit unstable at the moment. We should be taking him back to his room for a little isolation. I would love it if you just made sure that this commotion didn't wake any of your patients? We got this taken care of at the moment," he said with a sweet sickly smile. Edward wished he could have torn the guy's face off. The nurse blushed a bit as she carefully nodded her head and jumped out the door. The instant it shut the scientist whirled around and glared a deadly stare into Edward's soul. Edward's fiery golden eyes burnt back into the man with up most defiance.

"Give him a bath and the get him back to his cage," he ordered. The group of men started to move, roughly carrying him back down the stairs. The slight hope in his heart that said that he might make it out of there became just a whisper that he couldn't hear anymore. That was his one shot at freedom and now he blew it. How did he know that these bastards would have made a clever cover as a psyc ward? It was genius of course, being right below the hospital, able to get tons of medical supplies and chemicals in without anyone knowing, cover up the strange noises that might just escape the alchemic labs in the sublevel floors, but more importantly, it covered up close calls like his. He just looked crazy like another patient. Edward closed his eyes and relaxed his body a bit. Yes, he was tired from fighting all day, he was tired from fighting all month, he was tired of getting nothing more but water sprayed in his face for efforts that were always in vain. Maybe this was what it was like to be fully defeated. He nearly forgot how that felt so long ago.

….


	5. The Rescue

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

CHAPTER 5

The Rescue

"You mean those men came in here and nabbed him?" the Colonel asked the woman desperately wanting her to say now, but the ugly bar tender shrugged.

"Hell if I know. One minute that boy was talking, next those creeps in lab coats barged in, and then I was shoved out of the room running for my life. I got the gun from the bar when I finally pulled myself together, but when I got to my office, the only thing that was off was an overturned rubbish bin. My walls and floors were completely fine," she answered. Roy stared her down even though it was obvious she was telling the truth. Who would tell a story like that? The woman glared back at him and spat in one of the mugs she was polishing. Roy shivered slightly on the inside. That was disgusting. He wished he sent a health inspector instead of Fullmetal. He wished he didn't send Fullmetal at all. He had been missing for an entire two days and he finally got time to go investigate Fullmetal's disappearance. Alphonse was already out looking for him and as he knew, already stopped by here to ask a few questions about his brother. Roy just thought it would be safe to double check. Maybe the people here would tell him something they didn't tell the kid, but so far there was nothing else. Edward was still missing and Roy thought that he might be for a long time. He shook the thought from his head and then turned his attention back to the lady. Though her story was logical, she didn't have too much confidence in it. It was obvious that she thought that she could have just been imagining the whole thing, but then again, the detail seemed too real for just a bad dream.

"Are you sure that there is nothing else?" Roy asked her. He pleaded to himself that there was more but the woman

"Look Sherlock, I am sure that kid just went off gallivanting somewhere. I mean, he looked like he could hold himself. If it makes you feel any better, I will pull and artist up and send you some sketches, but I can't promise you will find anything. Obviously, if the kid was taken by a rag tag team of nerds, he wouldn't have so gracefully pieced my office back together," her ratty voice gargled out. She carefully placed the cup back on the shelf and turned back to him. "I will head down to a station in a few days when I go to get my groceries. I will send you the pictures." Roy nodded his head stiffly and bid the woman a fine day before he left the health hazard of a bar. Hawkeye was waiting outside for him, holding his coat in her hands. She tossed it to him and he took it gingerly in his hands. This felt like another dead end. He couldn't believe that Fullmetal was digging his way into trouble even on a simple investigation. He sighed and slipped the coat on over his shoulders. Hawkeye noticed his frustration but didn't say anything about it. She just stared straight ahead, keeping a professionally straight face. Roy shuddered to himself. He always hated acting like nothing bothered him, but sending a kid off on his own into an unknowingly dangerous situation, that was something he couldn't cover up. The guilt was suffocating, and he was swimming in it. Like the bartender said, there was still the slim chance that Fullmetal was alright and just out of town or something, but that light was fading fast every minute that he didn't return. Roy sighed to himself as they walked down the street. He wanted to do something, he wanted to distract himself, he didn't want to believe that he was stupid enough to let this happen.

"So what are you going to do now?" the Lieutenant asked at the perfect time like usual. Roy stiffly pressed his lips together as he thought to himself. What was he going to do? Well, when all hopes were lost, there were always the girls at the bar. Maybe they picked up a couple scientists in their adventures.

"Let's go get something to eat," Roy said plainly. Riza frowned at him, but he sent her a knowing look. He wasn't ever going to give up that easily on one of his subordinates.

…..

"No luck boss. The only thing that happened was an inferno of crazy. The chief's not here," Havoc's voice came out over the phone. He and Breda were sent off on a new lead that they picked up on Fullmetal's case. The pictures that the bar tender had sent them from a sketch artist were, well, a bit sketchy. As a picture, they were wonderful. Roy had half a mind to frame one and put it on his wall, but as proof, they weren't. Apparently, the man who had been the potential suspect was a new Anesthesiologist in the Psych branch at one of their own military hospitals. He had no trace of alchemical ability on his record. He had no teacher, no witnesses, not even a notebook in his house about the subject. With the bar tender insisting the person was an alchemist; he was obviously a dead end. However, something felt off, as it always did. Roy made Havoc, as well as Breda go off for an interview with the man just to make sure. They caught him in the hospital and asked him only a few questions but they came up just as empty. They even asked some of the nurses just to make sure that he was indeed telling the truth and it pulled through. The man was no alchemist. He was a simple anesthesiologist with the unfortunate job of taking care of mentally depraved people. The man had bruises all over his battered face from a patient who went on several temper tantrums before he could get them restrained. One of the nurses even said that the patient almost escaped the other day and woke up half the floor.

Havoc was extremely distressed with the other dead end. It has been little over two months since the kid went missing and everyone was deeply worried. Without Fullmetal, or as Havoc liked to call him the 'Chief' around, the office was empty. It was boring and depressing. Roy knew how well Fullmetal and Havoc got along together, especially when they would try to pull pranks on Armstrong and send him on an emotional rampage on someone. Roy could almost see the anxiety and worry eradicating off of his subordinate. He could feel it almost everywhere he went. This was just another stopper in their hopes of retrieving their young alchemist. Roy sighed and massaged his brow with his fingertips as he held the phone line up to his ear. What was their next lead? What would they do next? He couldn't leave them hanging on their last thread.

"Alright, come back to Head Quarters. You did good-"

"Sir, do you think we will find him?" Havoc's voice rang through shakily. Roy froze in his seat as the phone slid slack in his hands. He stumbled a bit before he could answer.

"Yes, it is always yes," Colonel replied. It had to be yes. They needed to find him. There was never a thing as too late… at least he hoped.

….

Edward was awaken with a fright by a sudden clattering of the door closing. The lights weren't turned on so he couldn't see a thing. Edward sat up as best as he could in the small cage that he was in and listened as the footsteps drew nearer. The room was cold and oddly quiet as if all of the other strange creatures next to him were all sleeping, or frightened. Edward shivered to himself. His clothes were still wet from being hosed down the night before. They clinged tightly to his skin and they wreaked. The scientist didn't think it was a good idea to give him a new set of clothes for some reason. They only forcibly got washed a couple times during his stay in the kennel of hell. The footsteps stopped in front of his door but he couldn't see anything. It was so damn dark. He tried to wiggle his wrists around in an attempt to reach out and grab the man's collar and slam his head against the door just to see how close he was, but they were still tethered behind his back like the previous night. The instant flash of painful memory hit him and he felt his stomach drop as he heard the clatter of the pad lock on his cage door. This was the day. Knowing that he couldn't fight, and not knowing who, what, or how many were trying to pull him out of his cage, Edward crawled to the far back in and attempt to stay there. It would be harder for them to pull him out if they couldn't reach him. Maybe he could be spared a few more moments to live.

"Come on kid, show time," he heard a strange man's voice call softly out to him. It wasn't Jackson, and it definitely wasn't Doc, like he would even budge to either of them in the first place. Edward kept himself grounded and glared out into the darkness. How could the man see in this light? He heard movement as the person tried to get in closer to him. The cage was only four feet long and three feet high making Edward extremely claustrophobic as the man closed down his moving space. Sure, he was tied down a lot in his weeks in the lab, but he was never trapped in a space smaller than the cage. Edward nervously threw a blind kick out to the person in front of him but he didn't hit anything but air. Quickly he felt the person grab a hold of his out stretched leg and start to drag him out of the safety of his cage. He hated being trapped in it, but now, now he wanted to stay in it. He didn't know what was going to happen out there, but he knew that if he stayed there, they wouldn't be able to even activate the circle. Edward struggled pathetically with the unknown man until he was pulled completely out of the cage, and he heard the small door swing and lock behind him. The room was pitch black and he had no clue what was happening. The man quickly let go of his leg and hoisted him to his feet from underneath the shoulders. Edward looked around blindly, trying to see his surroundings or at least the people, actual people, that were in there with him. It was strange, he could only hear the one. There was a prod in his back between his two shoulder blades and he was edged forward through the Kennel. Edward carefully inched across the floor, afraid of stepping on anything or tripping, but the man caught him by his grimy shirt and pushed him forward as if it was broad day light. How could the man see? A door roughly swung open in front of him and he was pushed out into the still dark hallway. There were no florescent lights above his head, there were no lights at all. He walked as the man pushed him in the right direction, giving him a shove here or there to adjust his course and speed. They walked for a little bit in complete silence until Edward worked up the nerve to say something.

"How can you see?" he asked the man behind him. He heard a rough growl before the man replied.

"Stop asking dumb questions," he snapped before the hallway fell silent again. Edward shrugged to himself lightly as if that would alleviate the fear in his chest.

"Well, who knows what would happen, this might be my last time to ask any questions at all, let alone dumb ones. So why is it so dark in here?" Edward questioned him again. He heard a resentful sigh as the man seemed to give up the tough act in an attempt to answer his final words. For some reason, Edward felt slightly better knowing the man was giving him at least something to distract himself. He just didn't want to face the fact that he was going to be forcefully experimented on by some unknown freaky scientists.

"It's protocol. Darkness is supposed to keep the subjects calm under pressure, mostly to prevent anxiety attacks. We see with some night vision goggles. One scientist just invented them last year for our purposes," the man answered. Edward nodded his head in acknowledgement. It was terrible to find out that so interesting light bending technology was being created for the purpose of human experiment, but it was interesting none the less. They walked in silence for a few more minutes before fear built up in Edward's chest again.

"Do you think it would be such a bad idea if you…. I don't know… cut these restraints and let me go?" he asked with the false hope building up in his chest. He knew what the answer was but it didn't hurt to ask. The man simply scoffed at him as they continued to walk down the hallway. Suddenly out of the darkness, Edward saw a dim light come out from underneath one of the doorways. His breath caught in his throat as they made their way closer to the doorway. Something made him want to stay in the dark. Whatever the man behind him said about it being comforting, he wasn't lying. As they reached in front of it, the man quickly picked up a fold in the back of his shirt and opened the door. Blinding light struck Edward's vision as he was shoved into the strange room. He smelled disinfectant like in a hospital and he heard the clacking of metal, like light tools being set down against the metal tray. A few people were talking back and forth, but their voices suddenly became hushed. Edward blinked his eyes a few times, scattering the dots and he saw a few people standing around the walls in a cement room. Spot lamps were placed up and around the place, for lighting, brightening up every detail of the room. Every detail. Edward first caught sight of the examination table only a few feet away from him, but his gaze didn't stay long as it caught a glimpse of a giant inscription on the center of the floor. He froze and no amount of shove from the man behind him got him to move. It was a transmutation circle, his transmutation circle, the one they were going to use to play god and turn him into a freak and change the course of evolution. However, it wasn't just that which got him all tied in a knot, no. It wasn't one of the chimera circles that tucker had pasted all over his walls in his lab, it wasn't a simple medical circle from the many books he read in the library, it was a hybrid human transmutation circle. Those bastards were going to create the ultimate creature by starting on humans and working their way down. Edward found that he couldn't breathe. Some large hands picked him up underneath his tied arms and started to carry him closer to the circle. He squirmed and he kicked to try and get away but there was nothing he could do. _There was never anything you could do._

"N-no, NO! You are making a big mistake!" Edward scolded the scientists around him, his eyes wide in fear. "You can't do human transmutation…. It rebounds! It never works!" He tried to warn them but they didn't listen. It was just the simple please of the subject begging for his life. He didn't deny it though, he was begging, but they didn't know the toll that they would have to pay too. Edward struggled and writhed to break the strong man's grip from around him, but he found himself being shoved down to the ground in the center of the room. His arms were yanked backwards as the leather cuffs around his hands were lashed to a small iron staple in the floor. He couldn't move. He was stuck in the middle. Edward looked wide eyed around him in paranoia. The scientists whispered to each other different things about this and that. He caught some snit bits on 'how'd he know?' and 'Don't believe him, he's just a kid.'

"Don't do this! You aren't going to make it! Just s-stop!" he cried out one more time. He heard some footsteps behind him as he felt another tether wrap its way around the staple. Something soft was set down behind him. He felt the small warm body tremble in fear, just like his was. That was what he was going to be bonded with. He dared himself to twist his neck and look down behind him. A young golden tabby cat stood quivering beside him with its tail between its legs. The cat had managed to claw its way to sit between his arms as if he could provide comfort, protection. Little did it know, Edward was the person it should be farthest away from. Edward took in a deep breath as he closed his eyes bracing himself. That was it. He was all alone. There was no rescue party, there was no grand escape, there was no one he knew, or cared to know beside him. He was alone, and he was going to die.

"Alright, record data as Circle three, test subject number fifteen, specimen hundred and six, and trial…. One," Edward heard Doc's voice call out as the millions of pens started to scribble down words on their clipboards and notebooks. As all scientists know, keeping valuable notes it what makes science successful. "The subject has currently been with us twelve weeks in preparation. The specimen is pure bred from the lab. Neil Gregory the 5th will be performing the transmutation this evening. It is currently 0900 hours on the third of December." Edward groaned. He heard some anxious footsteps approach the circle behind him and two thuds as the man kneeled down on the ground. The scientists around them put on welding goggles to protect their eyes from the bright alchemical light of the transmutation. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Doc pace around, scribbling a few things down on his clipboard.

"Alright, safety ready, let's begin the experiment," he announced. There was a slap as hands touched down on concrete. Bright blue light swirled around the deeply cut, intricate circle that he was sitting in. The light filled the lines and quickly traced it. He almost felt himself being enveloped in it as the circle etched around him. His breath caught in his throat as he twisted around from side to side to see what was happening around him. Suddenly, the bright blue light turned a deep shade of purple, contorted with the flashes of red. Edward felt a jolt of pain ride up his spine as he felt the energy jump up through his body. He bit down on his lip trying to keep in the screams, but another jolt followed another as if it was pulsing through him, keeping rhythm as it tore his body apart. The cat behind him yeowled and screamed as Edward was sure the same thing was happening to it. Edward's joints felt like and inferno as he felt himself being deconstructed. A pounding pain in his chest broke open and he felt himself doubling over in pain. This time he couldn't keep it in. He let out a screeching scream as blood started to ignite out of his body from various pressure points. His skin felt like it was breaking and rebuilding itself over and over again till his shirt was coated in his own blood. Black spindly arms started to erupt out of the circle and up towards the sky above them. Edward heard screams from none other than Niel the alchemist behind him, mix in with his own and the strange howls of the cat. The arms shot down towards them like vipers ready to strike. Instead of grabbing a hold of him and disintegrating his body like his own failed transmutation did, the arms enveloped him and the cat together in a tight bundle. He just wanted to get the arms off him. He didn't want them to touch him, but they were pinning him down as he wrythed in agonizing pain. Edward's screams bursted out of him against his own will. He felt his body destroying itself. He felt the cat's body behind him do the same thing, but the animal's howls ceased to come out. His breath, or whatever was left of it, caught in his chest as the arms wrapped themselves tighter and tighter around them. There was a sudden jolt and a flash of yellow before, everything disappeared and left him with nothing.

…..

Edward stood in the white void that was the Gate. He looked up and around into the nothingness. He couldn't believe he was back here again. A shiver wracked his spine as he remembered the first time he met the all-knowing Truth. Edward suddenly felt cold, like his body couldn't take the emptiness of the room. His clothes were torn to bits and pieces, leaving him almost bare as the scraps hung down around him. His body was trembling from the nonexistent environment. He needed warmth. Suddenly he felt a soft formation curl itself beside his right foot. He looked down to see the golden cat from the transmutation beside him, smiling up and cuddling next to him. It sure was warm. Edward bent down and picked the little creature up. It curled up in his arms and purred in comfort. The soft fur warmed his chest as the living being was pressed into it. Edward spun around quickly as a loud shrill voice of a million people rang out to him.

"Hey Alchemist! It has been a long time since I seen you, but I never would have expected you to end up here like this," Truth laughed cruelly at him. Edward frowned slightly as he planted his feet into what he thought to be the floor. He was about to retort something but the being cut him off.

"If you expect me to take payment, I already got it. That Neil alchemist didn't seem to know what hit him. You kid, for once, are here for the ride as a product, a byproduct, a creation, and a destruction. You are an equation, a circle, and an alchemical reaction. Let's just hope they were all balanced equally," Truth said giving him a cruel smile. Edward felt a tug on his chest as black arms unknowingly wrapped themselves around him, pinning the cat to him. He was tugged back through the gate with the doors slamming in his face, dropping him back down into the painful storm of reality.

….

Alphonse let out a tiny yelp as he was jolted back to reality. He looked around trying to realize where he was until the four walls of their dorm room bounced back into his mind. He let out a tiny sigh as he leaned his heavy armoured body back against the wall and relaxed a bit. It was just a dream. Now, it was a known fact that he didn't sleep. He couldn't sleep. His mind was the only thing to keep him company at night when everyone was down for the count. Most nights were long and painful, just listening to the clock ticking by, trying to make time go faster so that morning would come and he would have someone to talk to, but other nights, Alphonse dreamed. It wasn't a soulless dream or nightmare that one gets when their eyes close for the evening and they enter that stage between consciousness and sleep, it was a simple day dream. Alphonse found out that he day dreamed when he let his mind wander for so long it barely knew how to get back. He would just think and think and think about one thing, then another, and soon his mind was imagining things as if it really was in a deep eventful sleep. Right then, he was thinking about Edward. It was all he could ever think about now a days. People were starting to give up on him. He has already been missing for over two months and there still were no positive signs that he was even still in central. Alphonse was worried of course, but more importantly, his mind kept running over all of those ifs. What if Edward was captured by some crazed alchemists? What if he was killed off by antiwar citizens? What if Edward wasn't even in danger, just exploring? What if someone tries to get the answers to the gate from him? What if Alphonse actually did go with him on that day? Would Edward still be missing? Alphonse pitifully shook his head. He should have gone with his brother like he always did. He just wanted to get a head start on those notes Marco gave him and lighten his brother's work load a bit. If he would have known….

Alphonse had been dreaming. He had been dreaming of his brother, all the possibilities of what could have happened to him were flashing through his mind like rapid fire. He didn't like any of them. However, for some reason, his mind brought him back to some random white void. He didn't know what it was, maybe a neutralized space in his mind, but he was there, and so was his brother. Edward looked all ratty an torn up. Blood splattered everywhere, leaving a little trace on the ground where he walked. He was panting, his chest heaving up and down like he ran a mile. Alphonse tried to shake the image out of his head but it wouldn't budge. There was no way that could have happened! His mind was making things up. Edward was definitely alright. Nothing happened to him. Yet, the armour still stared on, he still willed to think of the possibility of that actually happening to his brother. As he looked on into the white room, Alphonse noticed a small bundle clutched tightly to his brothers chest. It looked warm, it looked alive. Edward was holding a small golden cat in his tight desperate grip. If Alphonse could have smiled, he would have. Edward was a softie no matter what way you look at it, but even with him being an marshmallow with a cold shell there was no way that Edward would pick up a stray cat like that. He knew he had to be dreaming. Edward always did like to make sure that all the cats Alphonse picked up had a home, but he would never actually take one onto his own. Alphonse relaxed a bit and just sat back watching his brother hold the shivering creature close to him. But even though Alphonse knew that whatever his mind was imagining couldn't have been true, he still felt the utter pain of fear fly through him. Watching his brother hold the kitten so close to him like it was a life link was relaxing and scarey, the images came in almost too clear to have been a dream. Alphonse shook the thought from his head. His brother was going to be alright. He was going to find him in the morning, safe and sound.

…

His yells rebounded across the room as he felt his anatomy start to shift itself against his will. His bones and skin started to grow in odd abnormal places, tearing his head and back apart. He no longer felt the warm fur of the creature behind him, instead there was cold wet nothingness. Blood and bones covered the floor around him as his body contortions started to slow down finalizing. The lights that once blinded his vision started to bend down to the shallows and the purple faded to blue. The transmutation circle died out and all the energy Edward felt that was pounded into his body, was immediately withdrawn. His muscles went weak and he crumbled over to his side, arms still lashed painfully to the floor, but he couldn't feel it. He couldn't feel anything anymore. All he heard was his sharp, raspy breaths as his mind swam, trying to make sense of what was up and what was down. Shouts and exclamations of all sorts rounded about him as he saw the ground gradually grow farther away from him. Someone had picked his utterly limp body up off of the floor and started to carry him away from the hell circle. Edward caught a faint foggy glimpse of the remains of the transmutation; a pile of small bones and blood as far as they eye could see. He could almost see what used to make the small, soft creature's face, but it was cold and hard. It wasn't even living. His distant eyes stared up at the ceiling as his body started to tremble. His nerves were shot, jolting and shuddering at every slight stimulus, going haywire. Some person set him down on a metal table as another person unlashed his arms. They fell limply to his side. He closed his eyes for a moment before dazedly opening them back up. A dark haired man looked down at him with a huge smile across his face. He mouthed a few words excitedly to his colleagues around him. _Colonel? _Edward couldn't catch any of them as they floated around in the air. He thought he saw the words 'Success' and 'Combination' be used, but he didn't pay them any heed. His eyes slowly fluttered shut once more as his mind swam towards the shadows. Whatever those men were saying, he didn't care, he just didn't want to know what they were thinking.

….

Roy snapped his fingers as a billowing snake of flames shot out of his gloves. It twirled through the air for a moment as if to let the sun admire its own burning scales before it plowed down into the ground tearing the earth apart. Dirt and snow flew out from the small compacted explosion and covered his winter coat down shirt with the mud. He snapped his fingers again and the inferno zapped across the empty fair grounds before landing down on earth again. Sweat dripped down his face and soaked his hair, matting stray bands of black down around his face. The cool breeze of Febuary stung his wet skin and burnts his eyes. He angrily spun around and launched a burning flame behind him letting it lick the ground, catching the snow, creating sizzling snaps before tearing up through the sky and exploding scattered ash everywhere. The black specks fell down and freckled his face as he continued to lay waste to the empty lot behind the head quarters. His arms were tired, his legs stumbled a bit as he moved around planting them for their next attack on his unknown enemy. He snapped his fingers, letting the pathetic sparks snap and fizzle out only landing a few feet before him as his knees collapsed to the icy ground. He sat there gripping the hardened snow with his hands as if trying to land himself down on earth before he started to burn it again. He hurt, in more places than one and he was even more tired. He was tired of trying to burn his troubles away, he was tired of all the paperwork, he was tired of his blasted job, and he was tired of searching. He let out an aggravated cry as he pounded his fist into the earth, dirtying his fire gloves to the point of uselessness. It was weeks, three whole months that Edward has been gone and he couldn't do a thing about it. His searches, his millions of searches came up false. The hospital, the warehouse 13, the Inn of the West side, he even had his subordinates search a few of Central's surrounding towns but to no avail. It was all hopeless. He hated it more than anything, this failure. Trying so hard to desperately correct a wrong, a terrible wrong that he let himself do. It felt like he was crawling on his knees, just making things worse rather than better. He was tearing himself and his team apart trying to find Edward and bring him safely home. He let out a low growl that was trapped in his chest. Why couldn't that damn kid just stay out of trouble? He ferociously snapped his finger out in front of him causing a huge explosion a few yards out. Ice flew into his eyes blinding him for mere moments. If that kid hadn't disappeared, they wouldn't be out working themselves to the bone trying to find him. He snapped his fingers angrily again send the flames swirling. If that kid could have just stayed safe they wouldn't be so… Roy froze, his fingers on the verge of clicking again. He tried with all of his might to let the flames of hell lose but he couldn't. They wouldn't budge. He felt warm fiery water fill up his eyes blocking his vision. He collapsed to the ground and slammed his fist into it. He was pathetic. Trying to burn out his fury and place blame. He was the only damn person that should be holding it, sending Fullmetal out on his own. What kind of commanding officer was he if he couldn't even protect his own? Edward was just a kid, Roy should have known he wasn't the indestructible being everyone thought he was. He needed protection too and Roy failed him. Now everyone was hurting and it was his entire fault.

"Sir?" Riza's voice came out through the smokey land. Roy's head shot up in alert as he tried to pathetically wipe the water from his eyes. It was hard seeing as the icy air alread burnt his cheeks red. The woman walked over to him and gently knelt down beside him. She didn't say anything right away as if giving him a time to compose himself. He was very grateful for that. It was more than a bastard like him deserved. He tiredly ripped his gloves off of his hands and stuffed them in his pocket. Riza offered her hand to him and helped him up off of the filthy ground. He gave her a week apologizing smile. He should never let his subordinates see him like this. It was weak. But Riza simply turned her head away as if she couldn't see his trembling body, his burning muscles, his tired eyes. He took another swipe at his face to wipe away another stray tear from his face. It was stupid. A commanding officer never cried. "Sir," he soft but stern voice rang out, "You know you are useless in the rain."

…..


	6. The Great Awakening

_Authour's note: Hey, thankyou all for reviewing. I know I am uploading them pretty fast, but I seriously have all of these chapters just waiting in my processor just wanting to be published. I can't deny them that privlege! Well, thankyou for your support. I am trying to write both stories now, but I will make sure to finish Sorcerer's Skill first (for those of you who read that). I got a long weekend so i will have plenty of time to relax and write as long as my possible concussion lets me before I get dizzy. :)_

_oops long chapter. Oh well._

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

CHAPTER 6

The Great Awakening

Edward dazedly groaned to himself. His body was on fire, aching at all possible joints and functions. His mind was foggy and he couldn't seem to focus right on anything. He tried to shake his mind clear but the storm was persistent. He started to get a little annoyed with himself. _Maybe you're dead._ That was stupid. If he was dead he wouldn't be in so much pain. His other senses started to pull together as he tried to grab a concept of where he was. Strange smells flew through his nose, crisp and clear. He smelled the disinfectant of the room, some random person's cologne, and he smelled cleanliness. He didn't smell the dirt and sweat that once covered him before. The foul stench that the scientists let him live through was gone. He didn't smell like the Kennel anymore. Someone must have cleaned him up when he was out, and this time it probably wasn't with the jet hose. He felt how heavy and immobile his limbs were, he felt how his eyelids were weighed shut by their own weight, he felt cool metal at his side, pressing against him. Okay, he was laying down on his side and strangely enough, he couldn't feel any restraints on him. His arms and legs were finally free and he was too tired to move them.

Edward wanted to open his eyes and see exactly what was going on, but his eyelids were way too heavy. The pain everywhere over his tired body made him just want to fall back asleep and numb it all. Just as he was about to do that Edward felt a strange pulling at his mouth. It was as if someone was parting his lips with a metal rod and poking at his teeth like a dentist. He heard the clanking of tools beside him, the noise ricocheting off of his ears splitting his head open. Edward groaned to himself as he forced his eyes open to find the obnoxiously loud intruder. They lazily fluttered open and his vision slowly focused. A tall, black haired man was standing over him, pulling his lips apart with a metal prop to inspect his teeth. He tried to close his mouth, both in an attempt to bite the man and stop whatever it was that guy was doing, but he found that his mouth was unwillingly blocked open.

"And he's awake!" Doc's booming voice rang out straight through his ear. Edward clenched his eyes shut with a wince as the sound vibrated off of his ears and hammered his skull. It felt as if his head was going to crack in two. Doc gave an apologetic smile as he rooted around his mouth a bit more, prodding a few of his teeth here and there. "Sorry, you must still be adjusting to your sensitive hearing," he whispered as he continued to work. "You have been down for the count for about four weeks now so you haven't had time to adjust to your new self. We have being keeping heavy watch to make sure your body wasn't rejected so I am just getting to the final physical examination," he said lifting a dental pick in his hands with a happy smirk. Edward felt stupid having that guy poke around his mouth. He was too tired to even think straight let alone fight him off. He couldn't even lift his arms. Doc put a gloved finger in his mouth and felt around his cheeks and tounge for a bit. Edward almost gagged at the taste of rubber latex but the man ignored his discomfort as he retracted his hand back out and doodled some notes on a clipboard. He picked up the metal hook and started to investigate his teeth again.

"Yes, well, this is interesting," he said pulling the hook around Edward's cheek a little more to open his mouth at a different angle. "Your superior and inferior cuspids seemed to have grown slightly and the incisors shrank. It also seems that the papillae on your tongue are barbed. What miraculous detail. You should really see yourself, such a beautifully balanced specimen. Never before have we got such a wonderful creature before in our transmutations." Edward froze as his eyes widened in shock. It was as if this terrible reality was hitting him over and over and over again. They really did it. He was hoping that it was all a strange and long dream, but they really did it. They transmuted him. Edward wondered, slightly what the man meant by beautifully balance though. From as much as he saw and felt of himself, he was perfectly normal. His mouth might have changed a bit, but that was nothing to go crazy about unless you were him of course. Panic was pumping through him like crazy, but his body was so tired it barely recognized the feeling. But the man called him a creature. He was no more than a lab rat to them and whatever they did to him it probably didn't help him anymore. Specimen, he wasn't a specimen, he wasn't a subject, he wasn't anything these bastards called him other than human. He at least hoped he still was. When Doc was satisfied with his examination, he plucked the metal rods out of his mouth and pulled the clamp out letting his jaws slam shut. His mouth was sore from staying open for so long but he didn't care. The words were already forming out of his mouth before he knew them.

"W-what do you mean balanced?" he furiously muttered, but his words came out nothing more than a pathetic shaky question, the energy draining from him even more with every word slurring them a bit. Doc chuckled to himself at the sound of Edward's scared pleas.

"Well, I can feel your panic, but don't worry, everything turned out fine. I guess you can say just a few alterations were made. With the human transmutation circle, we were able- or Neil was able to keep that as the basic structure. Shame what happened to him but amazing it worked though. I am curious as to how you knew so much about the circle. If you found out what it was that fast, you would have been a great addition to our team. Hell, we probably would have been able to get straight to the stars like you turned out to be than to end up with all of those other bloodied up messes. Granted you were the one that we experimented on, but I can dream," Doc said distantly as if reminiscing an old memory. "However, aside from the possibilities, you really topped the cake. So healthy in every aspect and adjusting well to everything. With some more rest we can have you up and walking. I can see that your energy is still drained from the reaction. It takes a while, but you'll make it. The boss will definitely find you an amazing specimen." Edward started to freak out slightly. If that much changed in his dental arrangements, what happened to the rest of him? He tiredly tried to lift his head to see the rest of him, but it was too heavy. He couldn't move it. Edward groaned as he let his heavy eyes fall shut. He heard Doc move around him and the clanking of metal as he placed the tools down on a metal tray. The noises hurt, pounding his ears out with every clack and rattle. Edward just wanted the head ache to stop. He wanted to know what happened to him, but then again he didn't. He just wanted to drown all of this out of his mind. Edward heard Doc let out a small chuckle as his footsteps rounded up to the front of the table. A rough hand landed on his head and scruffled his hair lightly. Edward hated it, people touching him like some pet, but he was too far gone to care.

"Get some sleep, the Boss needs to see you bright and healthy when he comes around in a few weeks."

…..

Edward felt a soft comfortable thing bellow him. It was warm, smooth, and its presence seemed to be rather calming. All he felt for the past few months was cold, hard metal. It was bone chilling and it hurt having to live with it all day and all night. This, whatever this was, it was soft, comforting, and reassuring. He pressed his face into it as if trying to snuggle closer to its softness, afraid to let it go. It smelled like fresh linens, a bed. He didn't have a bed, only a cage, but now it was all he ever wanted. He smiled a bit as he inhaled the sweet smell of the fabric again. A low deep thrum began deep within his chest and spread throughout his body, reaching even his cold automail foot. It was a rhythmic pulse flowing through him as if confirming that this was indeed what happiness felt like. To him, happiness felt like a comfortable night's rest on a soft fluffy mattress. He pulled his knees in under him to his chest, absorbing the softness with his legs and letting the deep thrum race through them. He burrowed his face even farther into the comfort. It was just too good to be true. He didn't want to open his eyes, afraid that all of this might disappear and that he would find himself back in those claustrophobic cages with no room to move, the creatures wailing and taunting him with their loud screeches breaking his ears. No, he would just keep his eyes closed forever and enjoy this. It was too good to ruin just by waking up. He grinned as the warmth ran through him. It was too perfect. In his excited little thrill, and through the drum rolling comfortably through his chest, he felt something twitch behind him. He tried not to pay any attention to it, afraid that he might lose the content that he found in the bed, but it moved again. Something warm, landed on his bare right foot. It was soft and furry, tickling his skin with its little hairs. Edward tried to push it away, but he felt it twitch again. It was strange. He could feel every movement that the thing made as it swayed back and forth in rhythm to the vibrations in his chest. Edward's eyes snapped open as he took a pause relishing in his bed. The thrumming immediately stopped with his discomfort. He rocked side to side slightly and the mysterious thing swayed with him. Edward jolted up in his bed and twisted around to look at his back. His mind froze as he stared wide eyed at the golden snake. No, it wasn't a snake, it was a tail. He watched it carefully with a trained eye until he saw it twitch again. He felt it. He felt the feeling run down his back and through the entire fluffy thing.

"AHH!" Edward yelped as he tried to get away from it, hoping that what he was thinking wasn't true. He stumbled backwards until he felt a heavy metal bar on his back. He looked up and around to notice that it wasn't just a bed guard, but an entire metal cage built on top of the soft mattress preventing him from getting out and leaving. It wasn't a bed, it was a large cage with a soft padded floor. The cielings rose only four feet up as they stretched six feet wide giving him just enough room to stretch out and then some. His sudden excitement was immediately sputtered out. His false comfort didn't last. The tail swung again in anger and Edward let out a little yelp again as it scared him. He quickly grabbed it and held it tight. It was warm, furry, and alive. Edward felt up along the long fluffy tail, farther and farther up until it reached the base of his spine, his tail bone. _Shit._ Edward twisted around as best as he could in his new container to try and see the base of the tail. He laid down on his stomach and turned his back, straining his neck to see. The blonde tail protruded out of a small hole in his green hospital pants that one of the people must have put on him since his clothes were nearly destroyed. His heart dropped as he watched it. He could still feel the pain in his back from when it must have grown in the transmutation. It burnt lightly as it swayed back and forth and lightly curled on itself. He couldn't believe that he had a- _Shit what was that?_ He felt something press down on his head as if trying to comfort him in his time of panic, but it only made him freak out more. As an immediate reaction, his hands shot up to his head and grabbed a hold of the two strange objects. They were soft and fluffy exactly like the tail was. It took him only a moment to realize that those were his ears. The sounds of the air conditioner in the room muffled only slightly as he massaged his hands over the large things, feeling them a bit. He had fucking cat ears. Edward cursed sadly to himself as the scene hit him. He was a cat, part cat. Those people really did it. They made a human chimera, but out of him. He felt water welt up in his eyes slightly. How was he ever going to live like this? He was a freak, not human, a monster. Was this what they wanted to create? A broken human with animal anomalies? Edward collapsed down pathetically on his bed and punched his fist into the soft fabric.

"You bastards," he cried out to anyone that would listen. The sound vibrated off of his ears making them twitch violently. It magnified everything almost a thousand times, hurting his head. "YOU BASTARDS! Are you happy now?" he asked the air around him. The blank white room did not reply. It was completely empty except for a small air conditioning vent. He felt as if the bars of the cage around him were growing smaller every second, returning him to the small place he once was in the kennel. He would rather be there and be human than to be here and be a freak. He couldn't show his face to anyone ever again. What would Alphonse think when he saw him? If he saw him. The chance of him ever leaving this place was slim. What did they plan on doing with him now that he was a finished product? Were they going to sell him to that bastard who hired him or were they simply going to keep him around as a pet? Edward felt a tear roll down his face as he thought more and more about it. Maybe it would be better for him if he stayed here. He wouldn't have to face humanity that way. People, other than the heartless scientists couldn't judge him. He wouldn't have to face the Colonel Bastard and tell him how terribly he failed that mission. He couldn't even keep himself out of danger for one day. One day was all it took to ruin his life.

Edward heard footsteps outside of the door. They seemed so close to him, but they were still far away. Voices spoke between the two owners of the feet in a rather hushed and angry matter. Edward felt his ears swivel around trying to pick up on the noises.

"Why do you even talk to it? I catch you talking to the thing every time you give it an examination. It is an animal, a beast! It attacks everyone around it!" Jackson's voice came out scolding his partner. The other man gave a cruel laugh.

"Come on, if you haven't realized by now, talking to it makes it calmer. I got beat up less times than anyone who handled the chimera. That's the only reason I do it. Well, that and it gives way more interesting conversations than you can," Doc joked. "Aww, come on, don't look at me like that. You are just upset that the broken nose the kid gave you didn't heal fast enough for your date."

"I just don't get why we just don't put the beast in its place. He is going to have to be trained obedience anyway if the boss has any hopes of selling him to that man. No one wants a crazed chimera on the loose. Maybe then it won't go trying to kill everyone it meets. We can't all go have a nice conversation when we want to get it out of its cage."

"Jackson, have you ever read anything about psychiatry? If you force obedience, it only cause abnormal fears to come out and be permanent. You could scare the shit out of the thing and cause it never to cooperate ever again. Those baths that we give him are only for punishment, not forced loyalty. This is obviously a grudge you have from getting kicked in the stomach one too many times from its last physical examination. The chimera hasn't even been awake since its transmutation. Just give it time to adjust to its new –"

"No. The boss is coming in only a week. If that thing acts up during its fitness examination, it could blow the whole thing. We need to get this thing under control now. We don't want to show up to the boss's door with bloody faces!"

"Who is the doctor here? Me. You are the research assistant and anesthesiologist. You were also the person who collected the subject in the first place. All of the other ones weren't violent like it is. Unfortunately, it was the only success. You were the one who brought this problem onto all of us. We just need to train the chimera into less aggressive tendencies. It won't kill anyone when the boss is here. _If_ it does, then you can do what you like and shove it in my face that I was wrong. Okay?"

"You got one week. Then it is mine."

Suddenly the door swung open dramatically and the Doc strode into the room with a huge grin on his face, Jackson on his tail with a large scowl. Edward cringed when the door slammed against the wall making a loud and terrible thud, rolling off his ears and hammering his head. The scientists didn't seem to care as they walked over to his cage and looked down through the bars at him. Edward felt the annoying swish of his tail as they studied him for a moment. The Doc's ratty black hair hung amiss and disheveled much like when the Colonel worked an all nighter signing papers.

"So, my little subject, did you have a nice sleep?" he said cheerily.

"I AM NOT-" Edward started but the Doc ignored him, not letting him any time to interrupt.

"You slept like a rock. How are you feeling? Still sore? I see you are still having a bit of a hard time getting used to those lovely ears. Jackson and I have come by to give you some food. I bet you're hungry since you haven't eaten in a while. The I.V. drip that we had on you when you were knocked out can only do so much. Are you hungry?" Doc asked him as if he really cared about his answer. Edward glowered at him. He heard what they said. They didn't even consider him a bit human anymore, calling him beast, chimera, it. He could see why as his tail twitched angrily. It was true, he wasn't human anymore, not really, but he didn't want to believe it. _You are human, you will always be human. _If they wanted him to be polite, they were going to have to do a lot more than toy with him like that. The scientist waited patiently for his answer but Edward kept his lips tight, unfortunately his stomach didn't get the memo that they weren't talking. It gave a loud rumble and Edward quickly clenched it trying to shut it up. Doc smiled as he bent down below the cage and pulled out a few things. He heard something solid hit a plate and realized that he was actually getting real food for once, not that vitamin nutrient liquid they served him.

"Jackson, if you so mind as to open the door so I can give the subject its food?" the Doc asked still out of Edward's sight. He watched Jackson carefully with his golden stare as he rounded the cage and started to unlock the door. Edward jolted forward and slammed his foot out the door, catching the man off guard. The gate smashed into Jackson's chest and he went tumbling a few steps back. Edward tried to stuff the rest of himself out of the cage but he felt an awful tearing pain run all the way up his back as something caught his tail. He yelped in pain as his tail was given a few taunt tugs, forcing him back into the cage in order to relieve the pressure. Jackson quickly slammed to door shut again in fear of being attacked again. Edward grasped his golden appendage and pulled it gently towards him, trying to get it loosened from the maddening grip. Doc glared down at him with burning blue eyes as he slowly released the end of the golden tail from his hands through the bars. The look in his eyes burnt worse than the Colonel's flames.

"Don't do that again, we are only trying to help," the Doc's icy voice came out. Edward shivered at how the man's demeanor changed so fast. The man looked around the cage, smirking slightly as he studied the welded bars. "Do you like your new arrangements? We pulled a lot of strings here to get you a more comfortable place to stay. It is mostly for the eyes of the boss, make you more presentable with clean clothes and a nice rest. We thought it better to get you out of the storage facility since you are now a valuable asset to our research. It has so much more room, a soft bed, and even a quiet environment, unlike that tiny dark cramped crate you were in," the man said with a knowing look, taunting him with the idea of being back where he used to stay. Doc paused giving him a cruel smirk and raised a small bowl in the air for him to see. It looked like a dish with a lump of square mush in it. It looked nasty, like ground beef and oatmeal, but Edward's stomach gave a growl again. The strangely sweet smell of the mush rushed through the room and filled his nose. He hasn't properly eaten in the two weeks he was knocked out. He was starving and that man had leverage. The Doc noticed his struggling look and his smile grew even bigger.

"You want this don't you?" he asked tauntingly. "Well, if you want food, I expect you to behave yourself, no more attacking Jackson. He doesn't like it." The man waited patiently for an answer. Edward really wanted to just stay quiet and leave the man waiting forever, but his eyes wandered down to the mush in the food dish as his stomach gave another leap. He really hated himself.

"Fine," he muttered angrily, crossing his arms over his chest, "as long as he doesn't give me the hose again." Jackson growled at him but the Doc smiled. He pushed his colleague out of the way with a gentle shove and unlocked the cage door again. Food dish was gently set down on the soft matted floor before the Doc closed the door again. Edward peered down at the strange substance in the dish. It was gross and barely passed as food, yet it smelled strangely desiring like sweetened meet. His stomach gave a lurch and Edward groaned to himself. He needed to eat it. With out a utensil of any sort, Edward picked up the bowl carefully and curiously dipped his bare finger into the mush. It squelched a bit as he scooped some out. Flinching slightly, he brought up his courage to put it in his mouth. He gagged as he quickly spat the substance back out into the dish.

"Uggh, what is that?" He groaned trying to calm down a few shudders that wracked his body. He actually put that in his mouth. How can something that smelled so good taste so bad? Doc looked up from where he was on the ground putting the food supplies away.

"You don't like it?" he asked as if it wasn't obvious. "We had to make a few alterations to your diet plan from the results we got back from a few blood tests. It turns out that your body took the food tolerance and nutrition needs to that as a feline. We weren't expecting that, but easy fix. Unfortunately it seems your taste in your appetite didn't change as well-"

"It's cat food," Jackson interrupted him flatly. Doc gave the man an annoyed look as he was trying to say that. Edward's stomach gave a throb. He quickly dropped the bowl not wanting anything to do with it anymore. He couldn't believe he just put that in his mouth. Why did it smell so good then? They were cruel bastards tricking him with the promise of food. He shoved the dish slightly away from him, trying to get a good distance between him and the sweet smelling pile of shit. Doc frowned slightly at him.

"Don't be like that," he said. Edward shot him a menacing glare and the man took a step closer to the cage. "Look, if you don't eat you won't do well on your fitness exam next week. The boss is there tomorrow and you might want to make a good impression or else I don't know what would happen."

"I am not eating cat food. I am not a fucking Feline!" Edward argued against the roar in his stomach. His ears twitched in anger but he really tried to ignore that at this point. Jackson rolled his eyes at him and huffed something under his breath. Edward decided not to repeat those words to anyone. Doc just stood there patiently.

"Well, I am very happy to tell you that you are now a perfectly balanced specimen of the newly founded Felis Sapiens. Now, since that is now established, how about this? If that bowl is nice and clean by the time we return, I could consider fixing up that strange coat of yours. Would you like that?" Edward took a slight glance at the nasty substance as his stomach yelled at him, scolding him for not plowing his face into the meal. He missed his old coat. The fabric was so comfortable, it was a piece of home. The green tee shirt and pants that the scientists put him after his clothes completely disintegrated were strange, unfamiliar, and forced the feeling of helplessness on him. Edward hated it. The red coat gave him power. It gave him comfort. It made him content. Edward took a sideways glance at his bowl. Doc smiled at him. "I will see if I can find that red fabric of yours." The two scientists herded themselves quickly outside of the door. Edward heard them talking amongst themselves as they closed the door.

"See Jackson? That's how it's done."

"Yeah, now you are having to go around to find some filthy pieces of fabric for it. We should just have taken that beast's artificial limbs off. He would have been much less trouble."

"What is the use of a chimera that can't move? It is also good to make sure that those limbs of its adapt to the new body it got. Plus, I don't have anything better to do now since the thing is at full health. We just need to have it cooperate through the fitness exam and then I am done." Their voices slowly faded down the hall as Edward sat there on the padded floor of the cage. His ears were twisting about on his head trying to pick up more words or voices but it was silence. He slumped back down on the mattress that they had so thoughtfully given him. The warm comfort made him miss his dorm room with the lumpy mattress and mismatched blankets. He missed Alphonse and everyone. Were any of them looking for him? He decided that he needed to get back at all costs, even with his distorted, configured body. Ears, tail, etcetera, Edward didn't care, he wanted Alphonse. He might be treated like a freak or something of that extent outside, but he would have freedom. He wouldn't be talk to as if he was a thing that someone could just kick around, he could walk around whenever he wanted, he could use alchemy again once the weird drug wore off, he could live. Though staying here meant that he wouldn't have to reveal the cruel reality of his situation to the world and die of shame and humiliation, he couldn't be locked up anymore, he needed to try harder. _I need a plan._

Edward looked down at his tail as it flicked calmly around him. He grabbed a hold of it and started to feel the soft fur on it distantly. That examination sounded important. Whoever it was that was running this joint was going to be there to see him. Edward was kind of frightened by it. He didn't want to know what the test was or what the punishment would be if he failed. He begged that it wasn't the hose. Just thinking of the cold suffocating water scared him. Yet, he didn't want to know what would happen to him if he succeeded too. What would the next thing be on their agenda for him? Who was the person that supposedly ordered the human experiments to be done? Surely there wasn't anything that they wanted with a scared kitten. Edward sighed to himself as he glanced over at the slop that was still in his dish. Well, first things first.

…

Doc smiled down at Edward with a genuine look. Edward pulled lightly on his restraints that strapped him to the gurney. Doc looked him over as he brought out his clip board and hummed to himself. It sounded like Chopin but Edward wasn't quite sure. He tried to focus on listening to that instead of what the man was going to do. The room he was kept in was silent, too silent. He hated the loud noises of the crying animals in the kennel, but now his new quarters were so silent he felt like going insane. Staying in there for hours on end was dragging him crazy. Listening to anything, human speech, music, something to distract him was something to ask for. The sound gave him something to hold onto. He realised now what the Doc had meant when he said talking calmed him down. He knew what he was thinking by the tone of his voice. Jackson never talked, and Edward didn't know what he was going to do half of the time, but it usually wasn't good.

When Doc quieted down for a few moments Edward tugged and pulled on his restraints, trying to snap any or all of them. He hated being tied up, pinned down. The scientists were always bruising him up and taking him down to the ground whenever they needed to take him anywhere. He hated touching. It always led to bad news. Whether the scientists were examining him, tackling him to the ground, or simply just giving him a horrid pat on the head, Edward knew that there was something bound to come after the math. Jackson took a liking to pulling his ear if he got in the wrong. The pain that went with that was excrutiating and he couldn't stand it. Edward found himself almost snapping Jackson's arm off at one point because he reached his hand out to touch him. He just didn't want to hurt anymore. Doc nodded to himself and set his clipboard down.

"Alright first day of training. Let us see how this goes," he hummed to himself. He reached his hand out and Edward thought that he was going to unstrap him but suddenly the hand was headed for his ear. Edward flinched and growled at the man trying to get away from him, but of course he was strapped down.

"Don't touch me," he hissed hoping that the man would listen to him but he did quite the opposite. The instant the words left his mouth, Doc pulled out a small horn and a loud hollering scream railed out of it, attacking his ear drums and splitting his head. Edward let out a yelp partially deafened by the sound and pulled away, or at least tried to.

"Ah, ah, ah. No biting, fighting, or yelling, or else you get the horn," Doc told him. Edward glared at him angrilly. The man reached out a hand again for his head and he flinched again, fully expecting him to yank his ear. He pulled on his restraints again and the horn went off.

"No fighting," he said again.

"I wouldn't if you woul-" Edward started but the horn blew a second time. Edward winced and yelped slightly at the pain that was sent up through his head. It was such an obnoxiously loud sound. His sensitive ears couldn't take it. He just wanted to yank the thing out of the man's hand and chuck it at his head.

"No yelling," doc smiled. The scientist reached out one more time and Edward did his best to keep still, but a sting of panic went through him as the hand got closer. He didn't want anyone to touch him. The instant he felt the man's fingertips brush the back of his left ear, Edward jumped and ordered the man to get away from him. The loud shooting sound echod throughout the large open room again. Doc rolled his eyes and scolded him again for fighting. The man tried one last and final time to touch his head and Edward closed his eyes as the man reached down for him. he felt his hand rub the back of his ear and massage it gently. It was strange. There was no pain, no blaring horn. Edward slowly opened his eyes as Doc pulled away. That wasn't too bad, except for the fact of his pride going down hill. He was being petted. He wasn't a house animal. Suddenly, the strap around his chest loosened. He had the instant reaction to jump up and bolt but just as he tried, the horn blew again.

"Arrgh! Stop it!" Edward cried as he tried to get the ringing out of his ears. Doc looked down at him with a little smile and twirled his toy around in his hands excitedly.

"I will only stop if you will," he sang. Edward growled at him but the man twitched his finger as if to set the damn thing back off again. He instantly shut up. He could only go deaf so many times in one day. Doc grinned as he loosened yet another strap and then another. It took all of Edward's energy to keep still and bite his lip. The leather cuffs around his wrists were slowly unteathered from the gurney. As Doc went to move around to his other side, Edward quickly shot up and snatched the horn out of his hand and chucked it as hard as he could across the room. He leaned over to rip his other hand out of the restraints when a shrieking pitch ricocheted off of his ears. Edward winced at the pain and fell back down to the bed trying to cover his ears from the splitting noise. Doc pulled the whistle out of his mouth and hung it around his neck.

"Always carry back up," he smiled to himself as he went to unstrap his other arm. Edward frowned tightly at the man as the last of his restraints around his feet were loosened. He motioned for him to sit up and he did. The man turned his back on him and walked over to a small set of cabinets. Edward shifted around slightly, looking longingly at the door. If he was fast enough, maybe he could make it out without the man noticing. Just as he shifted his weight, the man blew the whistle again without even turning around. Edward fell back on the gurney clasping his ears in pain. "I don't know why you would try to escape now. You are almost perfected. If we could just get you to sit still it will all be worth the effort." Doc quickly stood up from the cabinets with a bundle in his hands and turned around. Edward froze suddenly as he watched the red fabric float around in the man's grip. It was almost like seeing a ghost. The man unfolded it and the black flamel symbol peered out across the room at him. It was his coat, his identity, his power, his piece of home. Edward didn't realise how much he missed that coat until it was gone. He was always attatched to it, but now seeing it again, he felt like he couldn't live without it. The coat would be warm, it would be comforting, and familiar. Edward couldn't stand to let that go. As he quickly moved to get up in an attempt to reach out to the fabric, the shrill whistle blew and he was sent reeling again as his head lit up in enormous amounts of pain. Doc smiled as he saw the shock written across his face. "Alright, let's see what you can do."

...

Edward clutched his coat around himself protectively. It was soft, strong, and reassuring just like he remembered it. Though the green fabric of his thin hospital clothes clashed to the vibrant colour, Edward kept the coat around his shoulders. He was ashamed how he was bribed into getting it, but the goal was worth it. He felt like a part of his humanity had been restored when he wore it. There was a dull chink as his bare automail foot hit the cool pavement of the hallway. His tail swished behind him as the guards pushed him down the building. Doc, seeing as he didn't fight anymore when getting taken out of his cage, or off the gurney, saw it fit that he could now walk around by himself with a few guards on him. Edward didn't mind, he had his coat. Everything seemed ever so slightly better, but it was enough for him.

His ears pounded with the loud footsteps they were making, but he tried to ignore it as best as he could, wincing only when one of the guards coughed loudly behind him. Edward flipped the hood up over his ears to try and muffle the noises. It helped only slightly, but it was enough to keep him content in leaving it there. With the hood up, concealing the ears completely, Edward almost could imagine them not being there at all. Maybe if he kept it up long enough, they would just disappear. The men led him carefully through a large door and into an amazingly big room. It had a high ceiling and it was filled with machines that Edward didn't expect to find in a research facility. There was simply work out equipment scattered about the place. It was his fitness examination. Edward paused a bit at the door, wondering what was going on, when the guards shoved him tightly into the open space. It was strange. All Edward wanted was to get out of that cage of his, but now that he had room to move, he felt too exposed in the wide open room. His tail stopped swinging and tucked itself closer to him as if to find protection. It was as if a million eyes were watching him all of a sudden. Doc, Jackson, and a strange unfamiliar man stood in the center of the room. He had brown hair, a large nose, and green eyes. Edward's stomach dropped. He looked almost like Shou Tucker. His cheekbones were slightly more pronounced than the cruel bastard who turned Nina into a chimera, but his straight, passive face glinted with the same sane depraved chaos. Edward found his fists clenching slightly as his tail flicked on itself. The men behind him pushed him forward towards where the scientists were standing near a cold metal table. Doc smiled at him and made a welcoming gesture towards him. Edward froze not wanting to get any closer to the scientists, yet he was shoved forward till he was right in front of them.

"Is this it?" the new stranger asked as if he was disappointed. Everyone nodded their heads. As the man stared at him longer and longer, Edward took a stiff and cautious step backwards away from him. Evil for some reason seemed to be floating around him in big clouds. He must have been the guy that ran this joint. He was the man who ordered for him to be transmuted and was going to sell him to the buyer. What human did that? All Edward wanted to do was to sprint out of there as fast as he could and get away from the man. It was too much like Tucker all over again, except he was Nina. Doc smiled and gave Edward a gentle shove towards the table.

"This is experiment 203, our Felis Sapien. He is our majour breakthrough in the transmutations, but he is the only one. We have been running low on human specimen since the investigations the military is taking are now in heavy groups rather than individuals. Luckily this one held out perfectly," Doc said, bragging a bit as if trying to sell a vacuum cleaner. He pushed Edward up on the table and carefully pulled his hood down showing the man his ears. They twitched slightly, flicking back and forth as they tried to adjust to the cold. The man looked only slightly amused.

"Let's see how he does in the examination and then we will talk," the man snipped as he turned to leave. It wasn't even like he was worth the effort to have transmuted in the first place. What if he was of no use of them anymore? Would they use him for scrap material in another experiment? Edward felt his gut drop as Doc laid him back on the table and carefully started to take off his coat. His hands immediately shot up and pulled the red cloak down over his shoulders pinning it there, fending off the man. He was not letting them take it from him again.

"Now, come on, you have a guest waiting to see you. Surely you can do without your coat for a few momen-"

"No," Edward snipped not moving his hands. It was his last piece of home. He wasn't going to give it up as long as he was trapped in that hell hole. He didn't care if the Doc was reaching for his whistle. It might hurt, but at least he would be warm with his coat. However, before the Doc could put the whistle in his mouth, Jackson growled under his breath and glared at him.

"Nice job, Doc. You made the cat possessive. The boss is watching and we are having problems just preparing the beast."

"I am not-"

"Jackson, I think we've had enough of your commentary," Doc hissed at his assistant. The man shrugged but refused to move to help the man struggling with him on the table.

"You said that if we had any problems with it that I could prove you wrong. This is it already," Jackson retorted, being stubborn like a baby.

"It walked here by itself with no struggle. I wouldn't call this a problem! The coat is the only thing it can identify with-"

"Who cares. If the beast won't do a simple command what use is it?" Jackson shot at him. Doc turned his head and glared at his partner who was stabbing him in the back. For some reason, Edward had the feeling that he would rather be in the hands of the doctor rather than the crazed assistant. The man had it out to get him. Unfortunately for him, the Doc gave out an aggravated sigh and stepped away from the table. Jackson's smile grew wilder and even more estranged. He stepped up to him and Edward quickly tried to sit up and get away from him as if his instinct was telling him that nothing but bad could come from him. However, a hand grabbed his hood and pulled him back down to the table, slamming his head off of the metal.

"Coat off, now," the man ordered roughly. Edward rubbed his sore head for a moment trying to shake the pain away but the man took it as a sign of defiance. Jackson angrily grabbed one of his ears at the base and tugged it hard. Edward let out a tiny yelp as the man's grip tightened. "Take it off now," he hissed giving his ear another rip. Edward's hand was about to shoot out and nail him in the gut but he froze. If he fought back the man would put him in the hose again or worse. He didn't want to do anything stupid when that man was pulling the trigger. If he didn't then he would lose his only possession, if he did, he would get pain and suffering. Jackson interrupted his conflictions by pulling his ear yet another time. The sensitive tissue sent a shock of pain up through his entire head making his eyes water a bit. He quickly grabbed his coat sleeve and pulled it off of him. The scientist let out a wry smile and loosened only slightly on his ear. Seeing that he was giving in, Jackson yanked the rest of the coat off of him and tossed it unceremoniously to the side. Edward glare at the man with pure hatred, but he was simply just shoved back down on the table. What did he ever do to that man to get his ear almost pulled off like that? It still hurt, being sensitive tissue with a lot of nerve connections just like his tail. Oh yeah, he broke his nose and undoubtedly other bones in his body. Edward groaned to himself realizing that he probably brought this on himself. If only Alphonse was here to make him keep a cool head. No, Alphonse should never and will never step a foot near this place if Edward had anything to say about it. His thin shirt was pulled off, exposing his chest and Doc and Jackson quickly started to place weird suction cups on his chest. They were placed all over, on his shoulders, on the back of his neck, on his pectorals, spine, and etcetera. Wires flew down everywhere from the strange little circles and connected themselves to a tiny little box in the Doc's hands. Edward looked down curiously and lifted his hand to peel one of the circles off of him but Jackson caught him and gave an angry tug on his ear. Edward yipped like a hurt kitten and rubbed his sore ear.

"No," he scolded him as he turned back to one of the screens set up beside the table. Doc rolled his eyes and clipped the rather heavy box down around his waist with a belt. He tightened it a bit to make sure it would hold.

"There, I think that will do," the man hummed to himself. He helped Edward sit up on the bed and studied the placement of the suction cups. Edward looked down at them curiously. He never saw anything like it before. The Doc smiled at him. "It's electrode monitouring. We are going to be recording your heart rate and brain activity for the-"

"Shut it Doc," Jackson growled beside him as he wrote something foreign down on a sheet of paper. The man sent an upset glare over his shoulder as he stepped back letting his assistant do the work. It was obvious he wasn't used to it and it actually made Edward slightly uncomfortable that the routine was changed. He hated being tested on but he got so used to the doctor talking to him while examining. Jackson walked over in front of him and motioned for him to get up off of the table. After a second of hesitation, the man started to reach for his ear again and Edward jolted up before he could even grasp it. Jackson gave a cruel smile as he looked back down at his clipboard.

"Alright, first thing's first, we will time you on a few sprints," he mumbled flipping the small box on his waist on. It bleeped red and then fell to a silent hum. A few guards came over and basically dragged him over to a small measured track that was in the room. It stretched from one wall to the other and only gave him a one hundred yard distance. They were basically going to have him jump through hoops for them just to see how high he could go. Edward stood dazedly at the start tape and watched Jackson line up at the finish and pull out a timer and a small gun. He begged to the heavens that the man was not going to be pointing that thing at him. Edward looked around the room to see if anyone actually trusted the man with a gun and he heard the monitor on his hip beep again. Suddenly, the gun shot off a blank and the noise rattled around the room ricocheting off of the walls and his ears. Edward yelped as his ears were assaulted over and over again by the echoing noise. He bent down and fell to his knees trying to block his ears from the surrounding world, protecting them from the painful sound. There was a loud ringing in his ear, blocking off all other sounds that tried to force their way in. He heard what sounded like muffled human voices but suddenly out of nowhere, something large and painful sent a few shocking jolts up his back. Edward yipped as he stumbled forward a few steps to try and get away from the attacker. He took a daring glance behind him and saw that the guards were carrying some sort of small shock stick in their hands. There was a large block car battery on the back of it and a metal rod shot out of the top. Seeing as he wasn't moving, one of them directed the stick at his feet. Immense fear built up in him as he predicted the incoming pain. Edward instinctively shot off away from them before they could hit him again with his ears folded down against his head and the noise of the shot still ringing through them. However, his body seemed to completely ignore the track that was laid out before him and he sprinted off through the large room stumbling away from his pursuers. Several muffled voices cried out and Edward saw that men were chasing him down, trying to put him back in his place. He easily dodged them as he leaped over various equipment that was set up around the place. He jumped over the examination table in one easy leap, bounced across a couple of bar bell shelves, and even a balance beam. He had no clue what any of the scientists wanted him to do with all of the gym equipment, but he didn't care. He wanted to get out. As one of the men raced up to the side of him to grab him, Edward jumped and gave him a quick knee to the face sending him to the ground. Another man came up behind him and Edward grabbed the hand that was swinging towards his face and quickly stepped to the side, sending the man hurdling over his shoulder. As more and more people approached him, Edward felt his tail swing quickly in aggravation. They wanted him to exercise? They got it. Two men ran at him from opposite sides and he jumped up in the air to give them a round house but surprisingly, he managed to leap above their heads missing them all together. Edward let out a yelp as the men collided into each other bellow him. He went hurtling back down to the ground and plowed his feet into their backs before tumbling away from them.

"What the hell?" he gasped as he picked up running again away from the next bunch of gorillas. He could never jump that high. It was not humanly possible to jump eight feet into the air in a standing jump. _Then again, you aren't full human either. _Edward growled to himself as he shot off towards the door of the gym. He hated it that his new adaptions probably just saved his butt back there. He didn't quite know his own strength anymore. Edward heard a cry as some men quickly filed together to black the exit. His tail quickly flung itself to his side and he switched directions so fast he almost didn't know where he was going. He plowed right into a guard by accident, sending them both to the ground. His automail hand slammed into the man's face knocking him senseless before the man even knew what was going on and he was back up, sprinting across the room. Some of the guards tried to hit him with those shock sticks and he squirmed out of the way, ripping them from their hands and sending them on their guts. They jolted for a bit before collapsing to the floor unconscious. Edward spotted Jackson stepping up towards him. He looked angry as he was yelling at the other scientists to get their butts in gear and catch him. Edward furrowed his brows as the man came at him from the side trying to take him down. His feet skidded to a stop and he spun around to give them man a good swing and fend him off. His metal fist was able to drive itself into the man's face, breaking his nose one more time before something tackled him from behind. Several men jumped on him and took him down to the floor, pinning him there. All of their combined weight squished the air from his lungs and made it hard for him to breath.

"Hurry, restrain him!" they all shouted. He felt a couple of hands grab his arms and force them back behind him. Edward growled as they fumbled to put the leather cuffs on him again. He tried to force them off, but the longer he couldn't breathe, the more he started to panic. Air was being taken in through heavy gasps and wheezes as his arms were tied behind him. Edward felt himself get dizzy. He just needed to get away, get these people off of him. The monitor at his hip started to buzz wildly as he struggled to calm himself down.

"He's having a panic attack! Get off of him! Hurry!" Edward heard Doc's cry jump out through the crowd. He must have been standing by the monitor screen seeing his heart rate bounce off of the charts. Edward felt like his chest with his heart and lungs were on fire. Quickly, after his arms were secured, people jumped off of him releasing the pressure from his body. Edward gasped desperately for air as he tried to shove himself away from the men. They were standing over him, brooding as they watched him with curiosity. Edward pulled at his wrists to try and free them but it was no use. The wouldn't budge. His chest heaved up and down as his breaths gradually tried to gain a hold of them. Doc knelt down in front of him and studied him silently for a bit, looking in to his eyes. They were wide in shock, Edward knew but he really couldn't help it.

"Come on up," Doc sighed as he lifted him up to his feet. Edward stumbled a bit but he managed to get up and walk with the Doc as his breath returned from him. He was left shuddering and a bit wobbly but he could breath and that was all he cared about. Doc dragged him over to the examination table and helped him hop on top of it to sit down. He started to peel off a couple of the electrodes. Edward shivered slightly as the sweat that he worked up started to cool off on his body leaving him freezing cold. The doc clicked a few large buttons on the screen next to him as he turned the monitor box off and took it off from around his waist. He chuckled slightly as he looked over the chart.

"Wow you are really afraid of people touching you. How did you ever come around to have that fear?" he asked him amused as Edward brought his tail up around his chest to try and get some warmth in his body.

"It's ….not….. touching," Edward panted. Doc chuckled to himself as he shook his head in disbelief.

"It's just tackling and restraining to the point of exhaustion. Yes, of course," he mused. The man picked his red coat up off of the floor and slipped it around his shoulders seeing as his arms were locked. Suddenly there was a large growl from behind him as Jackson approached. Edward suddenly felt a strong grip grab around his ear again as the man held him. He didn't tug it, he just held it, pinching his ear as if threatening that he would tear his ear off if he wanted to.

"What was that?" he growled. Edward thought it was at him, but the Doc took a defensive step backwards.

"Hey, it was having a panic attack. He was suffocating. You wouldn't want a broken down unconscious chimera on the floor would you?" Doc retorted, his blue eyes flaring fire down into his colleague. Jackson gave a tight angry tug on Edward's ear as if finding something to take his anger out on. Edward let out a yowl.

"This was my turn to train the beast. You were supposed to stay out of it. Who cares if it passed out? It was its own damn fault for running away and beating up half the staff."

"I am not an it!" Edward growled slowly but Jackson just gave another pull on his ear this time holding it for a good long time. Doc watched him as he writhed back and forth trying to find comfort in the pain with passive eyes.

"You can't scoop up the subject all the time like it is your house pet! You need to tame it like a wild beast and-" Jackson scolded him but suddenly he froze and let go of Edward's ear as a dull and slow clapping could be heard. Edward looked up to see the stranger walk towards them after watching the entire entourage from the sidelines. He was clapping his hands, hammering Edward's ear drums out of his head every time he drew closer. As he was standing in front of him Edward had to flinch away, pinning his ears to his head to drown out the noise.

"Beautiful," he hummed as he put his hands down and studied Edward a bit with newly found amazement. The scientists stood up as if in alert and dropped their petty argument to pull on a professional façade. "That was truly amazing, perfect actually. The form of it all, perfect combat skills plus more. Did you see how high it jumped?" the man asked them. They nodded their heads stiffly as if ashamed that Edward managed to escape off of his leash. Edward glared at the man but he just smirked back down at him.

"It will do perfectly for our buyer. That is exactly what he wants; soldiers with animalistic instincts carved into their combat skills. The speed, agility, all of it. However, there is just one thing that needs to be fixed," the man started, dropping his smile to look back over to his subordinates. "What good is a dog of the military if it can't obey orders?"

"Tucker, that is what we were talking about. Jackson here-"

"Is completely right," the man interrupted Doc. Edward froze when he heard the man's name. He was a Tucker too. Were they all crazy chimera psychopaths? He must have been his brother judging by how young he was and the facial structure. Edward felt his stomach drop. Yes, he definitely was in Nina's position right now. The man gave him an offset smile. "We need immediate results. Our buyer wants him ready in a few weeks. From what I saw today, Jackson's treatment gave those immediate results. Doc, you were fine for the long run, but that's over now. We have little time to send this chimera through obedience training. I will ask you to hand over the data, charts, and files on the creature so that I might composite a profile for the buyer. That includes all of its previous military records as well." Edward watched Doc's face go red in anger. He was off of the research. The man upsettedly fumbled around pulling together the few papers he had with him. Tucker took the papers from him and flipped through them carefully.

"Don't act so upset, Doc. You will be able to still feed the darn thing and take a few examinations…. Just leave the actual work to your assistant. He's our only one and we want him to turn out right," the man said as he turned around to walk out of the room. Edward turned his head to see Jackson grin smugly at his colleague, obviously trying to rub it in his face. The stomach in Edward's pit grew deeper. That was the guy who was going to be trying to train him. _More like break him._ Suddenly there was the sound of squeaking wheels and Edward looked up to see the darn gurney wheel itself towards him with a couple of guards. He growled at it. He was finally able to be moved around without it and now they were going to have to strap him back to it. The men shifted around and started to grab him. Edward tried to buck them off, afraid of being suffocated by them again. However, they managed to strap him down with minimal problems. Edward's tail flicked and curled upon itself as he tried to break the restraints from around his chest.

"Alright," Jackson's cruel voice came out, splitting the air. "Let's make sure to clean the beast up a bit and give him a nice long bath."

…..


	7. Tamed

_Authour's note: Thank you for all of the reviews, but now for the chapter you all been waiting for... I think. I hope you like it as well. :) Thankyou again for reading. I think I might spend the weekend on Sorcerer's Skill though but at least I have a few chapters made up for this story so it will all be fine. _

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

CHAPTER 7

Tamed

"_I don't think he will be any more trouble. Give him one more go."_

Edward stared out blankly across the large cement room. His body was curled in on itself against the wall trying to keep in some body heat, but it was just being drained out of him by his soaking wet clothes. By one more go, the crazed brother, Timothy Tucker, meant till he dropped dead. The hose has been going on and off for what seemed like days, but was probably only several hours. They sprayed his face, nearly suffocating him, the water hit across his chest, beating his skin raw, and it hurt. Edward felt the pain ache through his body as the men set the hose down on the floor for a break. Edward cringed at the loud chink it made, pounding his ears out. It seemed that the scientists were even getting tired of all of that, but they weren't soaking wet, they weren't freezing, they weren't in pain on the cold cement floor. Edward shivered as he brought his knees up to his chest trying to grasp the heat from them, but it wasn't there. His automail drained him of anything warm. He hated it, the cold. It seemed no matter where he went, he could never escape it. He tried fighting the water, he always did, trying to find some way to breath but there was no air to be found. At one point Edward tried running, when he still had the energy, but they held him down at sprayed even more and more gallons of water on him. They probably drained all of the oceans around Aurego. There was a low chuckle that sounded across the room as Tucker sat back where it was dry and read through his files. His voice was cruel, cold, and unforgiving as it hit his ears. He heard the screeching of chair legs as the man got up and strode over to him. He was shuddering, panting, too weak to move. It felt like he had given up.

"You know, my brother was an idiot. I don't blame you for having him arrested. He was a shame to the scientists, just trying to make some pathetic creature to pass an alchemist exam. It was sad really. I mean, look at my lab, look at my wonderful masterpieces that were produced here. I am actually sort of glad that you took him out, however, he was still family and I could never forgive someone for that," he frowned, his voice rattling his eardrums. Edward felt the anger rising off of him. His ears pinned down to his head, afraid that he might grab them, and he flinched away slightly. The man chuckled lightly seeing how pathetic he was. Edward wanted to claw the man's face off and teach him a lesson not to laugh at him, but he was just so weak, he hurt so much, he was tired, and all he wanted to do was sleep, but he couldn't. He felt a hand slowly start from his head and drag itself all the way down his spine and across his shivering tail. The man petted him like he was a house cat. Edward shuddered as the hand continued. He hated being touched, petted, tackled, bad things came after all of them. He wanted someone to help him, someone to get him out of there, but there was no one around. He was alone, fully by himself with the crazed scientists, touching, tackling, prodding, and drowning him. He needed to get out of there, but he was too weak. He could barely lift his hands off of the cement floor, how could he make a run for it now? If he did run, they would surely give him the hose again. He didn't want that. He really didn't.

"You know, I think _you_ had a brother too, at least that is what the file said. It was pure coincidence that we picked you up off the streets to bring you to the safety of our labs, but what a relief. We couldn't have you running around after what you did to Shou. Ironic justice this is. However, I think I might make a request. I heard that your little brother helped you take down Shou. If he is anything like you, his body would be in perfect condition to make another chimera. I am thinking a dog. That would be nice. Then we could have the all of the scum off of the streets, too bad he isn't a soldier or we could sell him to the buyer as well."

"N-no, D-don't T-t-touch h-him," Edward panted, his eyes widening with the man's cruel threat. He would do anything to keep his brother from coming here. Even though he didn't have a body, they probably could still find a way to make it work, or kill him trying. Edward couldn't stand that. Let _him_ take the circle, let _him_ take the hose, just don't touch his brother. It was all he had left aside from his coat that laid drenched over him. The idea of his brother being safe and sound away from here were all that he could ever want, but they were about to take that away. The man frowned at him in disappointment as his hand stopped petting him as if he was a cat that just clawed him. Timothy leaned down and grabbed a tight hold of his ear, yanking it slightly.

"I am trying to advance the human genome and you said no?" he spat rhetorically in his face. Edward yipped as the grip tightened around his delicate ear.

"P-p-please, n-not my brother," Edward gasped, eyes watering slightly. He didn't care if he cried anymore, his body was already soaking wet. "N-not here. D-don't bring h-him h-ere, p-p-please." Out of a deep silence, Edward saw a crooked smile draw across his face. He was begging the man and he knew it. He gently set his head back down on the cold cement floor, releasing his hold on his ear and gave him a light pat on the head.

"Yes, I think you are done for today," he said stiffly. The man got up to walk away and Edward felt some strange arms wrap around his body and lift him off of the floor. The cold wracked his body from the air and he shivered. His chest shuddered and heaved as water fell down from his eyes. He wanted Alphonse to be alright. Please, don't let them take anything else from him. He begged the man to stop, and he was still begging silently to himself. He wanted everyone to be alright. He wanted someone to make sure that he was alright. He wanted everyone to be safe. The men set him down on a small gurney and started to push him away. They didn't even bother to strap him in knowing full too well that he wasn't going to try anything. Tears fell down his face as he winced in pain. _Please._

…

Edward stared blankly out through the bars of his cage. His eyes were wide and seemed to refuse to blink as his mind went spinnning around and around. He could feel it, the water, still dripping down his soaked clothes. It poured over him, over and over and over again as if refusing to stop. His breath caught in his throat several times as if his body still thought he was under the pressure of the hose. _Breathe, Breathe._ He shivered slightly as the cold got to him. Not even the thick fabric of his coat could protect him from the freezing water. His tail was pinned so close to his legs trying to stay warm, Edward thought it could just break with the force.

He didn't know what day it was. No one cared to tell him. Doc didn't talk to him anymore, he never saw him since the incident in the gym. There always just seemed to be a fresh bowl of nasty cat food waiting for him when he woke up after his many long sessions in the bath. They went on for what seemed like hours on end. Time seemed to stretch and warp itself he soon didn't know whether it was day or night. He tried counting, he really did, but he only got to five baths before he started to confuse them all up. That was a long time ago, at least he thought. It felt like they trying to beat the fight out of him, but now he could barely lift his arm. He didn't want to fight anymore. He just wanted them to let him go and stop drowning him, suffocating him, and touching him. Yet they continued. Wasn't this what they wanted?

The room was deathly silent. No one bothered him, nothing could be heard screaming down the hallway. It was just him and his thoughts. Edward wished dearly for some sound, he wished to hear someone's voice. He hated being alone. He hated when the scientists came in to grab him for the next bath, but he hated the aftermath even more. It was just him, shivering wet in the cage. He felt alone, like he had to fend for himself but he couldn't move at all. Edward knew he was alone, for a long time no one came to save him, but now he felt like himself wasn't even enough company. He felt useless, pathetic. He closed his eyes slowly, forcing them shut with the little energy he had left. He didn't want to listen to his mind wander anymore.

...

"I am telling you that you went too far!" a voice yelled, piercing the silence that fell over the empty room. Edward's eyes broke open as he was woken up from his deep sleep. His body was sore and his mind was clouded. Footsteps pounded to the door and it was flung ferociously open by Doc with Jackson grumpily following at his tail. Edward jolted up from where he was lying as his head went into sudden alert. Doc stormed over to his cage and looked down at him. His black shaggy hair was distorted as if he was running his hands through it in anger. He guessed the man would have pulled some of it out too. Blue eyes danced over him as he waited with a heavy chest for the man to do something, anything. It was the first time in forever since the Doc came into the room and the presence was disturbing. His bold demeanor was rather terrifying compared to everyone else's cruel side glaring tendencies. Jackson rolled his eyes and shoved the man out of the way.

"I did what I needed to get the job done. See?" Jackson scolded the man. He tapped the far end of the cage motioning for Edward to get over to that side. He faltered for a bit, but the man gave him a threatening glare as if sending him back under the hose already. Edward quickly crawled over to that spot pathetically. Jackson smiled as he walked over and tapped the other end. Edward reluctantly moved. It was relieving that the man didn't do anything to him if he simply obeyed. Doc rolled his eyes as he watched Edward's pathetic display. He knew that he was weak, but the fight was gone. The black haired man reached down below his bed and pulled out a strange looking bottle. He pointed it at him and squeezed it. Water flew into his face and Edward pulled back flinching, clawing at his face to try and dry it. It was cold and unrelenting. Edward wiped his face raw trying to get it off of him. That was cruel, sending him back in the hose when he didn't do anything wrong. Unless he _did_ do something wrong. Doc shook his head angrily, slamming the bottle down with a loud noise.

"Great, _great!_ You made it afraid of fucking water. I bet it couldn't even go outside today with the rain!" Doc cried out. "This is what happens when you train an animal like that!"

"Cats already hate water, what's the big deal? It isn't like it is going to be going outside today in the first place. The boss wanted fast training and you got it," Jackson growled back at him. "It can't disobey an order now."

"If it does, you just beat it to death is that it? You are making it afraid of you. The instant it has an opening, it will bolt. That is what happens when you do stupid shit like this!"

"Well, this is what the boss wanted. He gave me control over the project," Jackson retorted. He crossed his arms defiantly and gave Edward a glare, eyeing him like he suspected that Doc was right. But that look was quickly washed away with a tight huff. "Just feed the damn thing already," he ordered as he spun around and strode out the door. Doc growled something unintellectual underneath his breath as he bent down and started to scoop some food onto a plate. Edward still wasn't used to the nasty stuff, but the smell of it was rather intimidatingly sweet. He wished it tasted as good as it smelled. The Doc's face was twisted into aggravation as he set the food on top of his cage as he packed away all of the boxes and trash.

"That stupid, idiot, ruining my perfect creation. God, what am I going to do with you?" he droned to himself as he looked up at Edward. Blue gaze met golden and they just stared at each other for a long while. The man looked away and stood up taking the food dish off of the top of the cage and walking over to the cage door. "There won't be another shot like you. You know that? You were the first one. The rest will just be god damn copies. It's not as fun. The science just isn't there anymore. It's just production." Edward sat patiently in the corner waiting for the man to finish up and leave. He liked it that the man was talking to him, he liked it that he wasn't alone, but he felt unsettled. It was as if he feared if the man stayed any longer, there would be complete chaos. He half expected the man to lash out in anger at him. Doc shook his head at him as he set the food dish down and closed the door. Edward waited for him to take a few steps back before he slid over to pick it up. The nasty, sweet smelling food sat in the dish. It was still the grossest thing he ever tasted. Doc watched him pathetically as he tried to taste the substance.

"This was supposed to be science," he huffed as he tapped an end of the cage. Edward growled to himself as he forced himself to move over. He didn't know if the man would spray him again or not, but he knew he just as well could. He hated being pathetic. Doc shook his head as he watched him. "Jackson, you idiot."

…..

Roy grumpily sat at his office desk, tossing a ball of paper in the air. The rain was pouring down in buckets and he was stuck inside filling out work and signing forms. He should be out trying to find a new lead on the where abouts of his subordinate. Edward had been missing for a full six months. Roy was worried that he would never find him. For all he knew the kid was dead in a ditch. He was actually scared of what he might find when Edward eventually popped up. Anything could have happened to him and it was all his fault. Roy angrily tossed the paper ball blindly across the room.

"Sir," the grumpy voice of Riza rang out. Roy looked up in surprise to see the lieutenant standing in his doorway holding the crumbled ball of paper. She unwrinkled the paper and set it back on his desk along with a file. "Please try to send your paperwork back without any creases. You know the secretaries hate that."

"Well, they should just know that I hate paperwork," he huffed under his breath. He slowly picked up the creased paper and started to straighten it out on the edge of his desk half mindedly. How could he think of actually doing paperwork with Fullmetal missing? There seemed to be a permanent cloud of misery over the entire building. Havoc wasn't as chipper as usual, Fuery never smiled, he wasn't even going to think about Armstrong. Roy shook his head and found that he absent mindedly crinkled the paper back up. He growled under his breath and tossed it over his shoulder in annoyance. Paperwork shouldn't be so pointless, weak, and flammable.

"Sir, we are going out," Riza said flatly.

"Out where?" he mumbled pathetically.

"The office is heading out on another lead. It is all the way down in the warehouse district. We might be out for a while," she told him. Hearing the news, Roy quickly got up out of his seat and grabbed his coat off of the back of his chair. This was going to be it. He was going to find Edward. _Dead or alive._ Roy quickly shook that stray thought from his head. Of course it was going to find him alive. Dead wasn't an option. Today was going to be the day they were going to find him. All of their other attempts wouldn't be in vain. A loud crack of thunder rang out and shook the entire office. Roy paused and looked out the window and saw the pouring buckets of rain.

"Sir," Hawkeye started but Roy angrily cut her off.

"Don't give me that!" he shouted at her, furiously shoving his rain hat over his head. He took a step towards the door, but Riza held out her arm and stopped him. He knew what she was going to say and he didn't want to hear it.

"Sir-"

"I will not stand by and just watch!"

"Sir," Havoc's dreary voice came out from the doorway. He looked terrible, never smiling anymore, permanently tired. He rubbed his brow as if he had a head ache and sighed. "You can't go."

"We don't want to have to look for another body, sir. Stay here and finish your work," the first Lieutenant told him. She sounded as if she truly believed Edward to be dead, like she expected to find his lifeless body somewhere. Roy shook his head. He couldn't forgive himself if they brought back a body bag. He needed to know for sure.

"He isn't dead," he said pathetically. Havoc put his hand on his shoulder as if trying to reassure him, but it just felt heavy and empty.

"We know Boss, we just want to make sure we don't have you in one as well. We don't know what we are going up against. With the rain you will just be in the way," Havoc said.

"So you're telling me I'm useless," Roy muttered, but the man shook his head trying to deny it. It was obvious he couldn't make fire in the rain, but that didn't mean he couldn't do anything. He could help in anyway possible. He could lead the charge, he could guard the exits, he could examine the building, _he could send a child off on a death mission. _

"Sir," Hawkeye said, slightly softer than her usual business order. Roy tiredly turned away from her and stumbled back over to his desk. He didn't want to hear anymore of it. He peeled his coat off and haphazardly tossed it on the floor.

"Don't you dare come back without him," he breathed. Riza and Jean glanced at each other but quickly made a salute. Roy didn't return it. His arms felt weak and pathetic. _Useless._

….

There was a loud bash as the door was kicked open. Edward quickly covered his ears trying to block out the noise as it raced around the room, hammering his drums. Shouting quickly filled the room, angry and scolding as Jackson and Doc stormed in. They wore terrible scowls at each other. Edward couldn't make heads or tails of what they were arguing about, it was so loud and muffled together. They approached where he was crouching but they didn't pay him any attention. They just kept yelling at each other. Both looked like the lacked sleep, their hair a mess and their eyes carrying bags of luggage. Edward pinned his ears down to his head, drowning out the terrible noise. He never heard them yell so angrily at each other. It was always banter or slight scolding, but this was horrible. Their faces were all red and chests were puffed out. Suddenly, Jackson slammed his hand down on top of the bars of his cage, causing the entire bed to rattle and shake. Edward looked up to see his dagger eyes glaring down at him. He winced slightly at how sharp and painful they looked. The man said something but Edward didn't make out what it was, or he didn't want to listen to what it was. There was another crash as the man hit the cage again.

"Get out!" he yelled at him. Edward faltered to decide whether to do what he said or not. He wanted to get out so that the man wouldn't send him back under that aweful hose again but the bars of the cage were the only thing preventing the man from strangling him right there. The look in Jackson's eyes made him fear that that might be the case. Suddenly a spray of water hit his face as the man poured a large bottle of it on top of him. "Get OUT!" he yelled. Edward choked as he quickly tried to move about to get out from underneath the cold wet water. He covered his face as he crawled towards the door trying to wipe the water off of him. He could feel it soak through his shirt, coat, hair, and chill his skin as it dripped down him. Edward scrambled to get out through the door, feeling the substance drip all over him, soaking him, drenching him, suffocating him. He basically fell to the floor trying to get out and away from him. Doc was yelling something at the attacking scientist.

"Stop it Jackson, you are making it worse. It's supposed to be neutral when it enters its psychology exam," Doc scolded him ripping the bottle out of his hands. "I will not be testing a patient who can't even think right."

"We wouldn't have this problem if you haven't gone crying to the Boss with your ethics. We never had to do a psych evaluation before," Jackson retorted.

"We never got this far before." Jackson growled to himself in response and stared down at Edward like everything was his fault. He stormed over to him, heavy footsteps pounding against the ground. Edward scrambled backwards, knowing that the man was out to get his throat.

"Get over here," he ordered as he reached down and grabbed a hold of his ear. Edward yelped and clawed at the man's hand trying to make him let go as he was dragged to his feet. Doc ran over and tried to force the man to let go.

"Get off of it! You don't know what you are doing!"

"I am head of the research now and this is how you tame a beast. If you need it for a psych examination take it now," Jackson growled at him. Edward felt his grip tighten and the finger nails of the scientist were digging into his ear, pinching the nerves.

"You were made head of the research because the boss has no sense of patience. You know as well as I do that I am the one best suited for this. You are just taking your anger out on it! Look at it! You can barely even recognize my beautiful work!" Doc yelled. Jackson looked down at Edward as he tightened on his ear. Pain filled tears were welting in his eyes though he tried to keep them back. The man scoffed at him. Edward kept a strong hold of the man's hand trying to relieve some tension in his ear but it didn't help.

"This is as much as my work as yours. Don't get cocky!" Jackson yelled at Doc.

"I am not getting cocky. I am just-" The man gripped Edward's ear so tight that he felt something warm and wet trickle down his head as his skin started to burn. All he wanted was for the man to let go. Suddenly, Edward felt something connect with his automail fist and his ear was released. He fell to the floor holding his hurting head as Jackson came tumbling back down next to him. Doc was left standing in shock at his fallen comrade. The room was strangely quiet as Edward made the sudden connection. He punched the scientist.

"You shit!" Jackson cursed, his breath still wheezing from the impact. Edward's eyes grew wide as he scrambled away from the man. He was going to send him back under the hose for sure. There was no doubt about it. He didn't want to go back there, it was just self-defense. He didn't want to drown in the cold water.

"S-sorry, I-" Edward stuttered as he backed away from the angry man. Doc carefully took a step towards him, gingerly and cautiously.

"Calm down, all I wanted was to perform a psych evaluation. Just calm down there. Jackson won't-"

"Yes I will!" the other man raged as he weakly stood up, glaring with all of his might at Edward. He still felt the blood trickling down his ear from when the man had grabbed him and he spotted some red on the man's tightly fisted hands. Edward backed away some more but he felt his back hit the wall as Jackson took an angry step forward. Edward didn't really think at all before he found himself bolting towards the door, scrambling to get up to his feet. The scientists behind him yelled at each other and at him as he raced towards the exit. He threw open the door and jumped out into the hallway. There were a few people casually walking through the halls to different labs and they froze when they saw him. His heart pounded in his chest harder than a bass drum. Doc sent out a shout and Edward turned to see them charging at him, Jackson at the head with his face flushed in anger. He spun around and quickly jolted down the hallway, his bare feet pounding the floors. He sprinted down the way, passing door after door. Some more straggling men joined the chase slightly confused as to how he managed to get out. He tugged his coat tighter around himself as he ran, bursting back into the stair well. He remembered where he went the last time and that he didn't make it, but that was the only way he knew how to go. The scientists raced after him, stumbling up the stairs as Edward gracefully climbed up them. Floor after floor, the shouting chase continued. His heart was pumping fast and with every beat, Edward could feel a jolt of pain race up his ear. It hurt, but he knew that if he stopped running now, it would hurt even more. When he reached the ground floor, he found that the door was locked exactly how he remembered it. He looked back behind him, breath catching in his chest as he heard their heavy footsteps draw nearer. Edward glanced at the door and out the window. There was no one outside to help him. He brought his metal fist up and slammed it against the glass shattering it. The sound rang out against his ears, shattering the ear drums, but Edward grabbed the handle on the other side and the door jolted open. He staggered out, shaking glass from his coat as he ran. Some nurses who were coming out of a couple rooms screamed as they saw him bolting down the hallways. Edward heard Doc and Jackson shout behind him. He quickly turned down another hallway and spotted the large open lobby. It was the door, the exit, the way out, freedom. With all of his might, Edward tore down the hallway towards salvation. Suddenly, he felt something ram him in the chest as he collided into a gurney that a medic was pushing out of a random room. The air was knocked out of him as he stumbled back up trying to regain himself.

"Hey! Are you alright?" the woman asked as she stopped pushing the empty bed to help him. She must have caught sight of his anomalies, ears and tail, as she let out a little shriek. "Oh, my, god!" she exclaimed taking a step back from him. Victorious shouts flew down the hallway from behind him and Edward spun around to see the scientists race towards him, closer than they ever were before. Edward gasped as he staggered backwards towards the doors. The nurse said something to him as if begging him to stop, but he was already racing back towards the doors. He pushed one of the double doors open and started on the next one before he froze. Water. It was everywhere. It poured down from the skies and tore out of the clouds with thunderous claps, shattering his ears. A cold burst of wind flew in through the doors and chilled him to the bone. Edward heard the hollering from behind him come closer and closer as he tried to force his body to move forward, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, Edward was jerked backwards as someone grabbed his ear again. Jackson. He could hear his loud angry shouts as he scolded him, yanking his ear. Edward felt the nails dig harder and harder into his head as he was tugged so hard it felt like his ear might finally pop off. Edward let out a shriek of pain as his elbow flew back and pounded right into the man's face. The man pushed off of him, staggering backwards from the blow as Edward raced forwards away from him. Water pounded his face and his skin, immediately soaking through his clothes. He raced on into the storm, trying to get away from the crazy men behind him. He pulled his hood tighter around his shivering ears and tucked his frightened tail around his chest to try and keep them warm and hopefully out of arms reach of the scientists. His feet hurt as they pounded against the cement. It hurt, but he knew that if he stopped, he would hurt more. He raced on through the cold freezing rain trying to scramble away from the shouts of the lunatics behind him. He was outside. He hasn't been outside in ages. It was different, it was loud, it hurt, but he kept on going. He begged to whoever would listen, that he would make it out of there and away from those men. He wanted to be dry, he wanted to be safe, he wanted to see his brother again. With his heart in his throat, he sprinted out of the parking lot and down the streets into the night. He wanted to be free.

….


	8. Unknown Fears

_Authour's note: Uggh. Okay guys, this concussion is really hitting me hard. I will try to write as much as possible on both sotries but it is driving me insane. At least it is long weekend which means more time to write!_

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

CHATPER 8

UnKnown Fears

"Lieutenant?" Mustang asked into the phone. There was static from the storm outside as it played with the wires but he waited patiently, trying to pick up on anyone's voice coming through the other end.

"Colonel?" he heard someone say on the other side. It was Havoc. He was on the radio phoning system that Fuery carried with him everywhere. His voice was loud as if he was yelling out above the commotion. He could hear Hawkeye shouting orders angrily in the background through the rain of the storm. It stopped thundering but the rain still persisted. They were still out on their mission in the late hours of the night. He sounded tired, even more than he usually was. Roy shouldn't have let them go alone, but then again, he did find Edward on his evening off. "Colonel this isn't the best time. We just caught some illegal drug stores. We are trying to get the place locked down. Can't it-"

"I found him," Roy said into the receiver. Havoc stopped. All he could hear through the phone was static from the storm.

"You-"

"I found him, Jean," Roy stated again. There was another long silence as if Havoc was trying to figure out what he was telling him. Suddenly there was a scuffle from the other side of the line and Roy heard Havoc shouting to his other team members as if running around trying to get someone.

"_Lieutenant! Lieutenant!" _

"_What is it second? We're trying to-"_ Roy heard Hawkeye's strict voice come out distantly through the static.

"_H-he found him. The Colonel found him!"_

"_Havoc, take over," _she ordered. There was a clacking as the phone exchanged owners and Roy waited patiently for the woman to say something. "Sir, I thought you weren't supposed to get involved in this one," she huffed as if she was upset with him, but even through the static he heard the huge amount of relief in her voice.

"I wasn't involved. Things happened," Roy stated, not wanting to go into the long story while Hawkeye was dealing with a drug situation.

"What is your status?"

"I am alright, but… well, he is alright too, just…," Roy started but didn't know how to say it. The kid gave him a rough explanation of the entire situation. Supposedly, they captured him from the bar, took him to a lab, human transmutation, buyer, seller, Tucker, escaped. Roy didn't know really what happened to the kid while he was in there. But one thing Edward begged of him was to not tell anyone. Roy wasn't planning on barking it to the world that the Fullmetal Alchemist was now a cat but he needed to tell someone, just not now. "Hawkeye, I will meet you in the morning in the office. He is staying at my house for the time being. There are a couple of things that came up."

"Alright Sir," she said quickly. There was some shouting on the other end and the static picked up as she barked a couple orders out to his men. "Sir, take care of yourselves," she ordered him before the phone clicked off. Roy placed the piece back down on the receiver. He knew that she wasn't just talking about him, but scolding him on keeping anything from happening to Edward. _If anything goes wrong get help, _was what she should have said. Roy sighed to himself as he picked up the receiver and started to dial another number. The phone rang quietly through the silent house. He had sent Edward up to his room for the night, hoping that he could try and sleep off the events of the evening. The kid was frightened and Roy felt bad for sending him off by himself, but he needed to make a few calls before calling it a night.

"Hello?" a young metallic voice rang out from the other end. Roy sucked in a huge breath as if trying to figure out what to say.

"Alphonse-"

"Colonel! Did you- is everything alright? It's late-" Alphonse started but Roy cut him off not wanting to waste either of their time.

"Alphonse, I need to two things from you. Do you understand?" he said stiffly. He heard a creak of metal as the kid must have been nodding his head. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat down on one of the kitchen stools. "First, tell me how much do you know about cats?"

"Umm- Mr. Mustang? Are you-"

"Alphonse, it is late. Please just answer my question. I ….. Picked up a stray tonight in the storm. I just need to know anything that could help in my situation," he sighed. He hadn't picked up a stray in nearly fifteen years. He was a dog person, as everyone knew, not a cat person. He had no clue how to handle anything of the sort. If the transmutation altered Edward into gaining an ear and a tail, it probably did some other things too. Roy had no idea what he was dealing with.

"Umm… well… what do you want to know?" he asked questionably.

"I don't really know Elric, I am new at this," Roy muttered into the phone. It was late, but he knew the kid would understand.

"Keep it warm I guess. Don't scare it though. You should just buy some cat food if you are going to feed it Mr. Mustang," Alphonse admitted. Roy shook his head. He couldn't picture having to feed Fullmetal animal food. He would just have to figure out something to give the kid without poisoning him. He knew he was probably crazy for doing this, but he had to make sure. He didn't know anything about biological alchemy. "Is there anything else, Colonel?" Alphonse's voice came out.

"Alphonse….. We found him," Roy admitted, jumping to the point. He liked to rip off the bandage as fast as he could. There was a loud clatter from the other end as the kid must have dropped the phone. It was hard on the young Elric, the last six months. He was practically in distress. He was constantly out searching for Edward non stop. Roy could just picture the panic he was in when he didn't come home. Recently Alphonse went out to a few different towns to see if he was anywhere outside of the city. Right now he was staying in a hotel out near eastern headquarters. To venture that far in the span of only a few months, Alphonse was desperate to find his brother. There was a clatter on the other end as the kid picked up the phone again.

"S-sorry Mr. Mustang," Alphonse apologized as he tried to calm himself down. There must have been a million questions floating around in his head at that moment. Roy waited patiently for him to sort out what he wanted to say. Roy himself barely believed that he had found Edward, especially in the way that he did. Alphonse took a shuddering breath and stuttered a bit before he found his words. "I-is h-he-"

"He is alive and…. Healthy," Roy stated hoping that the kid couldn't hear the questionable pause in his voice. Alphonse let out a relieved sigh as if a huge weight was unbound from his chest.

"Could I talk to him? Where is he?"

"He is at my place, but he turned in for the evening. I wouldn't recommend waking him up," Roy hatefully admitted. Why was he the one to refuse the brothers from speaking to each other? It killed him. "When will you be back in to-"

"Right away sir! I-I'll be on the first train. I'll be there in a few days. Is everything going to be alright? Is he-"

"Alphonse, calm down. He is alright."

"Th-thank you, Mustang! Thankyou!" Alphonse basically cried into the phone. Roy felt his chest lighten slightly as he felt the relief in the boy's voice. However, he couldn't help but feel the dread that was left over. Alphonse will eventually have to see his brother. What will he think when he finds out what happened? After a while, Roy heard the other line hang up and he sank down in his chair. It was two o'clock in the morning. What a night. He tiredly shoved the phone away from him and climbed out of the kitchen to head up to his room. The day seemed too crazy to be real, but he knew it was. Edward was permanently transmuted, cold, and tired, sleeping in his upstairs bedroom. He felt a wave of fatigue wash over him that he didn't know was there before as the shock started to fade off of him. A yawn bursted out of his mouth as he staggered up the large staircase. He would have to figure out what to do about their predicament in the morning, now, he just wanted to sleep.

….

Edward laid down in the room that Mustang gave him and stared at the ceiling. The deep voice of his commanding officer strode up through the floors in soft murmurs. He couldn't make out any of the words, but it was better than staying in the complete silence. Listening to it seemed to calm him down as if reassuring him that everything was alright. He was out of those labs. He was away from those scientists. He was safe. Edward rolled around on the strangely soft bed. It wasn't lumpy like the mattress he was used to, or cold like the metal floors of the Kennel. He liked it, but for some reason he couldn't sleep on it. Edward tried to bunch together blankets that made the bed to try and give it some uncomfortable texture but it didn't help. The bed was too foreign. Even the one in his dorm wasn't that soft. As he tried to settle down he heard that Mustang stopped talking. The house was left strangely quiet. It was too quiet. Edward heard a door slam as the man must have went off to his own room. Edward tried to listen to any form of movement or sound that came from the house, but he only heard the dull thrum of the furnace. He waited a while, hoping that someone would do something to tell him that everything was alright. The slight fear built up inside of him that the Colonel actually did leave him alone. Edward was tired of being alone. He was tired of fending for himself. He wanted someone to be there, tell him he was safe. Edward waited, but the furnace still roared on, much like the air conditioning ducts in the labs. After a moment of hesitation, Edward grabbed a couple blankets and a pillow and snuck across the room. Feeling the cool carpet beneath his sore bandaged foot made him walk a bit faster. He didn't like the cold. Everything in the labs was cold. Edward slowly opened the door of his room and looked out into the open hallway. The place was so big, Edward felt small, almost defenseless in it. He was too exposed like in the wide space of the transmutation circle. A shiver ran up his back as he quickly wrapped the blanket around himself and scurried down the hallway. As he neared the last door, he heard soft sound of breathing coming from one of the rooms.

He quietly opened the door and spotted the Colonel snoring on his bed. He looked completely different from the commanding officer he knew. He felt like he was back in his own house in Resembool, peeking into his parents' bedroom after a nightmare. His father always looked so peaceful when he sleeped, completely opposite from the man who trapped himself in the office all day and left their mother in the blink of an eye, leaving them alone. He seemed to always be alone. Edward shook his head and was about to close the door. He wasn't always alone. He had Alphonse. Alphonse was the one who was alone, suffering through the quiet nights all by himself. Edward shouldn't be so weak in seeking some form of reassurance. There was no way that he was going in there. The colonel probably would yell at him for even being in the same room as him anyways, but as Edward turned around and started to head back to his room he stopped. He didn't want to be back in the torturing silence of the cold, uncomfortable room. He didn't want to be alone. Edward cursed to himself quietly as he spun around yet again and snuck into the Colonel's bed room.

The dull thrum of the man's snores hit his ears and they twitched slightly. The noise didn't hurt like the screaming chimeras from the Kennel. Edward took a step farther into the foreign land. It was warmer in here. A large radiator was thrumming in the corner, unlike the dead one in his guest room which must have been switched off to conserve power. The heat came off of it and lured him closer. It was warm, comforting. Edward knelt down beside it soaking up the heat. He collapsed on the carpet with his pile of blankets and pillow. The floor was perfect, it was warm. Edward plowed his face into the pillow, soaking up the sleep that flowed through him. He listened to the Colonel's snoring, he felt the warm breaths of the radiator next to him. A light hum when through his chest as it vibrated, sending reassuring thoughts through his body all the way down to his feet. He was content here. He felt like he could finally sleep after what felt like years of unease.

…..

Mustang was awoken by a sudden rolling noise. At first he thought it was the radiator kicking up again as it sounded like a rolling vibration of the clicking furnace, but it was much too long for it to be that. Maybe the thrumming was from a passing car engine, putting down the road. _Yeah at one mile an hour._ Roy sat up in his bed and looked at the clock. It was six in the morning, about time when he would have to get up to head to work. Roy shook his head and slowly got out of bed trying to ignore the strange sound. It was too consistent though, he couldn't shake the burning curiosity to find out what was making the noise. As he listened in closer he realized that the noise seemed to be coming from the corner of his room. He looked carefully through the dim light of morning and spotted a lump curled up on his floor. It was passed out by the radiator as if trying to soak up the heat. Roy snuck a little closer and nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized it was Fullmetal. The kid was sound asleep on his floor in a bundle of blankets. He paused when he saw the protruding cat ears and tail coming out of his subordinate, but he had to remember the previous day. Who would dare do that to his subordinate? He felt a bit of guilt and anger rise up in him as he thought about the misfortunes that befell him, yet as Roy silently watched the boy, he felt slightly comforted by the presence. He was safe here, away from those men who had tortured and experimented on him. Edward wasn't alone here. In fact, Roy wasn't alone anymore either.

The dull thrum shot around the room and Roy silently stepped away from the sleeping boy. The kid's tail twitched slightly in time with the strange humming, no, purring. The kid looked so content in staying there, Roy didn't want to wake him up. However, it made him wonder why Fullmetal didn't sleep in his own room. The kid was all about his personal space and the other evening he started to panic when Roy touched him. Wouldn't his room be fine for him? The man shook his head and turned towards the bathroom, leaving his subordinate basking in the heat of his radiator. So much could have happened in the labs that Fullmetal didn't tell him about, but the kid was due for some comfort. If he got that from the floor of his room, the kid could have it at least for a little while. If it wasn't for him, he wouldn't even be in this situation right now.

Roy stepped into the shower and turned the water on. It took a moment to heat up, but he soon relaxed as the water wore on. Steam started to float up to the ceiling and smoke up the mirrors as he got himself clean for a long, long day at work. He still had to figure out how to break the news to everybody about Edward's ordeal, which is if the kid wanted to say anything. _Someone_ had to know except him because if things got out of hand, him praying they didn't, they needed help. Suddenly, as Roy was rinsing some soap out of his hair, there was a loud crash from outside the bathroom door and a strangled yelp. Roy wondered if anyone was in the house, but his mind instantly clicked. Fullmetal. Roy quickly turned off the water and strung a towel around himself, running out to his bedroom where he knew the kid was sleeping. He wasn't there.

"Fullmetal?" Roy cried out as he fumbled around for a light. Roy found the switch of a lamp and turned it on. A dim golden light flooded the room and he looked around in shock. The place was a mess. His bed was torn apart and he saw that one of his bedside lamps lay broken on the floor. That must have been the crash but that didn't explain where his subordinate went. The door was closed, exactly where he left it and there didn't seem to be any sign of forced entry. Roy glanced cautiously around trying to find any sign of life other than himself. He listened to the fast quick breaths of some unknown person. They were raspy, shuddering, and scared. Whoever it was, it wasn't him. Roy listened to them and started to edge closer to where they should be. He stood at the foot of his bed and looked around. There was no one there but he still heard that someone was. _Under the bed you idiot._ Roy gripped the towel a little tighter around himself as he knelt down and peered under his bed. A golden haired boy was curled up in the tight darkness of the gap between the bottom of his bed and the floor. His eyes were wide in fear as if he just saw someone be murdered in cold blood before him. His hands were clamped down over his ears trying to block out the noise of the victim's screaming. Surely that couldn't be Edward. He never saw the kid so frightened before. His breaths drew in sharp as if he was struggling to keep himself from suffocating, like he was searching for air. That wasn't the boy that signed up for the military. Roy didn't know who he was but it surely couldn't have been his subordinate, yet it looked exactly like him, unfortunate cat tail and all.

"Fullmetal?" he asked out again slightly hoping that the terrified boy wasn't him, but yet him at the same time. Wide golden eyes flicked down to him. Roy didn't know how it was possible, but they seemed to grow even wider as if they were afraid of him. They stared at him distantly like they weren't grasping the full picture. The kid quickly closed them and curled in on himself tighter, his tail tucking tightly against himself trying to provide some sort of protection. "Edward?" Roy said questionably not knowing what was wrong with him. The kid dared himself to open an eye and it caught his directly. Gold caught black and they stared at each other for a long while. Suddenly, the kid started to relax, slowly uncurling himself as if he was ashamed for having hid like that. He looked away and cautiously crawled out from underneath the tight space he was lodged in. Roy stood up and walked over to the side of the bed his subordinate had escaped from. His face was deathly pale and he could hear the joints in his metal limbs clacking in shudders.

"Fullmetal, are you alright?" Roy asked him softly. The kid slowly forced himself to stand up. He leaned against the bed as if for some support, but the kid shook his head and slowly began to straighten himself out, putting on his usual tough façade. Roy knew it was fake, he saw that it was fake, but he let the kid put it on anyways.

"It's nothing," he muttered, turning slightly red.

"That wasn't nothing," Roy told him. It definitely wasn't nothing. The kid frightened him to death. He thought that something happened to him. When he found him underneath the bed, he knew something must have terrified the kid beyond belief.

"I-I just thought you were someone else," he muttered underneath his breath. Roy was a little taken aback. Did the kid really think that he was going to harm him in some way? His ears were pinned down to his head and his tail was still and rigid. Edward quickly shook his head and pushed lightly past him, making sure not to make contact as if he was contagious. Roy wanted to reach out to the kid but he didn't know how. What was he to say? Was he supposed to beat the kid into telling him every torturing memory from the labs? What was the kid afraid of? The door closed in his face before he even got the chance to gather his thoughts together. Edward left him alone.

….

Edward shuddered to himself as he walked back down to the kitchen to get away from the fright. He couldn't believe he got so worked up over a simple shower. When he woke up, the only thing that hit his ears was the deafening sound of rushing water. Edward panicked. In that instant, he didn't know where he was, or what was happening, but he was scared. He didn't want to be hit by the hose again. He imagined the scientists coming back and finding him, punishing him hard for running away. He couldn't handle it, so he hid. It was the only thing he could think of doing at that point. If he hid then maybe the scientists couldn't find him, but they did, or so he thought. Edward was pathetic, thinking that the Colonel was the scientist who set him through all of those tests and exams. The instant he caught sight of his face peering below the bed, Edward thought it was Doc. They looked so similar, Edward could barely tell the difference except that Roy had black eyes, which were now frightened beyond belief. He must have scared the man in his scurry for safety. Edward didn't think of what Roy must have been thinking of at that moment. He didn't know what was going on, and Edward really didn't want to tell him. _He wouldn't care anyways, he isn't your father. _And that was exactly right. Roy was his commanding officer. He should be ashamed to have such a scaredy cat under his orders. Edward was pathetic. The man was just taking a shower. It was nothing to be frightened of.

When Edward got to the kitchen he heard some shuffling from the other side of the door. It seemed to be a man, humming something to himself as he moved about the other side. It surely wasn't the Colonel because he was still upstairs probably cleaning the broken lamp off of the floor. Since Edward couldn't really fix it at that moment, he would just have to buy the man another one. He cautiously flicked the swinging door open from the dining room and he spotted Benjamin humming and silently dancing to himself across the kitchen floor. He was making something sweet and bitter smelling, like omelets and coffee. The man had a small apron wrapped around his waist as he set out three plates and piled the different omelets across them. Edward thought it was rather hilarious watching the man dance around by himself in the kitchen. He always thought that a butler would be old, grey, and boring, but Benjamin was the complete opposite. He probably was only in his late thirties and had the personality of a teenager, yet the other evening he could have fooled him. When he called him Sir it was so professional. Edward really did think that he was a stuffy old dude, but looks can be deceiving. Suddenly out of nowhere, Edward's stomach gave a lurching howl, shattering the simple silence that encased the room. He gasped as he jolted from the kitchen door hoping that the man didn't see him. He forgot that Benjamin was there at all when he came downstairs. He didn't have anything to hide with. He cursed to himself as he begged that the man didn't see him or ignored him. He shouldn't have come downstairs without something to put over his ridiculous ears. They were a dead giveaway for how much of a freak he was. Edward was just thinking on whether he should make a run for the other room or just hide out where he was crouched behind the door when it opened. Edward held his breath as his arms swung over his head and clamped down over his ears hoping that the man didn't see. The jolly face of Benjamin peered out and around the door with a smile. Edward shrinked away from him hoping that the smaller he got, the less he could see of him. His tail curled tightly around his chest, gripping it for dear life.

"Sir Elric, I am so glad that you came down for breakfast. I made omelets for everyone, a plain one for you as the master suggested. If I knew you would be up so early I would have set out a clean pair of clothes for you. I washed your old ones… but I don't think you are very partial to them are you?" Benjamin asked already knowing the answer. Edward shook his head and the man sighed to himself that his work was in vain. He looked back down at Edward with a curious look on his face, but quickly covered it up with a smile. "Sir, if you would like, I could go fetch you a hat to cover up with and then you could come join me for breakfast." Edward's eyes grew wide as he stared at Benjamin. He had a genuine smile on his face but Edward saw the glint in his eyes. He already knew and amazingly was offering him something to cover them up with. The man shrugged slightly as he crouched down to his level and sat on the floor next to him, dusting off his apron. Edward scooted two inches to the right just to make sure that their elbows weren't touching.

"H-how did you know?" Edward asked him as he slowly lowered his hands from over his head. His ears twitched out slightly as if stretching themselves out from being squashed to his head. Benjamin's eyes lit up slightly in amazement when he saw his ears but the smile was still plastered to his face.

"It is rather astounding what you could hear from my quarters in the late hours of the evening," the man mused. "I sleep in the small bed room just off of the kitchen. Word of advice, if you don't want the butler to know, don't have a butler." Edward laughed a little at that. He never had a butler so he never really knew. Benjamin stood up and held down his hand for him to take. Edward shook his head, denying his help and got up off of the floor by himself. He brushed off his bed wrinkled clothes.

"So….. eggs, huh?" he said awkwardly. Benjamin nodded and headed back into the kitchen through the swinging door. Edward cautiously followed behind him. The smell of the delicious food wafted up his nose. He didn't know how desperately he wanted something to eat until it was right there in front of him. It was a perfectly golden omelet, folded and still steaming on a series of mismatched plates. It was human food. Edward's mouth watered as he was about to dig in but Benjamin cleared his throat loudly and abruptly, stopping him. He gently set a fork down beside him. Edward turned slightly red as he realized that he was about to go in hands deep. He quickly shoved his left hand below the table and gingerly picked up the light silverware in his automail hand. His ears twitched at the light cling it made when the metal met the metal. Benjamin left the kitchen through a little side door, promising not to be longer than a few minutes. When Edward made sure that the man was gone, he carefully guided his shaky fork up to his mouth with a lump of eggs. It was good, it was warm. Edward felt a light thrum fall through his chest as he swallowed the delicious mouthful. It was amazing, more than Edward imagined it to be. He wasn't very partial to eggs, but he didn't care anymore if it was an omelet or benedict, he was going to eat it. As he was about to take another bite, he paused. This was probably what Alphonse would feel like when he got his body back. He already had a list going on what he was going to eat when he returned to normal. The dull thrum stopped. He missed his brother. They have never been apart for so long and now, he just couldn't stop thinking about him. What would he say when he saw what he had turned into? Edward didn't care as long as he saw him again.

"Sir Elric, is everything alright? You stopped purring," Benjamin asked as he came back through the door.

"I-I what?" Edward asked a little confused as he carefully watched the man. He quickly put his fork back down. It clattered and left his ears stinging slightly from the noise. "I don't purr. That's stupid," he muttered to himself slightly turning red. Did he purr? Was that what that thrumming was in his chest? He didn't even know what that was except for it felt nice, and it was comforting, a reassurance that the good things in life really were good. He shook his head. That couldn't be purring. _God, please don't let it be that! It is so pathetic!_

"Of course you don't sir," the man said a little taken back. Edward didn't feel very reassured with his answer. Benjamin took his own seat by his plate of eggs. "Something troubling you?" he pressed a lightly on the subject.

"Well… I was just… thinking," Edward said slowly trying to avoid the subject, or buy more time to figure out a fall up topic. He didn't want to talk about his brother to someone he just met. It wasn't something he talked about to anyone really, except for maybe Winry. He didn't trust enough people and he really didn't want them to know in fear that someone would treat Alphonse differently because he was empty. Would someone treat him differently because he was a cat? Benjamin waited patiently for him to gather his words together. It was like he was waiting for Edward to spill the gospel out to him, but he was going to preach a different book.

"Um... I was wondering... why would you work for someone like the Colonel?" he finally said, wincing a bit. It was obvious that the man knew that he wasn't actually thinking about that at all, but he gave a small smile of understanding and relaxed back into his chair. Edward stumbled around trying to make up a better question. "I-I mean... You could probably be fine all by yourself right? He said that you worked in a restaurant, a nice one."

"I don't really work for the Colonel at all. I just help around-"

"You call him the master," Edward interrupted. Benjamin laughed lightly as he started to cut up his own omelet to cool it off.

"Force of habit. I like to stay professional so that I don't slack off," he stated as he popped a fork full of egg into his mouth. Edward glanced down at his plate. He only took one bite out of it. "We met in the bar... well... I don't know, he just invited me to stay at his house. I didn't get much money then so of course I took the offer. He just had such a big house to be by himself. I eventually did get a better job but i couldn't picture going back and living in my own empty house." Edward stared at him as he watched the man finish up his breakfast. The man was too casual with it. The Colonel just asked him to stay? Mustang said that they were long family friends, not drinking buddies. His eyes tightened as he studied him.

"You two aren't-"

"No, Fullmetal, we aren't like that. Don't get any funny ideas," a voice groaned behind him. The Colonel walked in, dressed in his uniform for work. He had his rain coat and hat tucked underneath his arm. His hair was still wet from his shower and the stiff burning scent of after shave hung in the air. Edward frowned and turned slightly away as the Colonel walked over and plopped down in the seat next to him. The Colonel eyed him as if still skeptical of his sanity after what happened that morning. Edward couldn't believe he made such a fuss over the shower. But the sound of it was just all too familiar. Benjamin chuckled lightly at his comment.

"No I was actually married already. Got widowered. We are just house mates," the man corrected him. Edward looked down at his plate slightly and scooted a tiny inch away from the Colonel who was sitting a little too close for comfort. He didn't want to bring up a touchy subject like that. He cursed himself slightly. He was always doing that on accident. The man must have lost his wife and then needed a place to stay. He noticed just then that the man was still wearing his wedding band. Suddenly a finger came out of nowhere and tapped his plate. Edward followed it up to the owner to see that it was the Colonel. Mustang was eyeing his unfinished omelet with a slight frown.

"Come on, Fullmetal, you need to eat. I don't want you to raid my kitchen," he muttered to him. Edward looked back down to his plate and grimaced. He loved the eggs, he really did. It was a million and one times better than the nasty food that he was fed in the labs but for some reason he didn't have an appetite anymore with all of the people around. He had only taken a bite of it when Benjamin left to get something from his room. He slowly stood up from his chair and placed his utensils on his plate.

"Could I eat it later? I-I'm not that hungry," he mumbled. The two people looked at him skeptically and then at each other and sighed, nodding their heads. Benjamin, having already finished his breakfast, got up to help him with his plate. As Edward neared the counter, an earsplitting ring sprung out of nowhere behind him. He let out a yelp and jumped nearly sky high as the sound slammed against his ears. On instinct, he flung his plate where the sound came from in hopes of silencing it. He covered his ears and closed his eyes hoping to block out the noise from all possible ways. It was deafening and he had no clue what was going on. There was an even louder crash as the plate collided with the ground and shattered into a million pieces. The ringing sound stopped as something else tumbled to the hard floor. He heard strange clattering before it all became silent, too silent. There was a few moments as the room tried to settle down from the excitement. He felt something soft touch his ankle and he drew back. He didn't want to be tied back down again. He just wanted to be left alone. Clenching his eyes and ears tighter, he hoped to break out of the room and get away from whoever made that horrible noise, punishing his ears.

"Fullmetal?" he heard a soft worried voice ask. Footsteps drew nearer. They seemed to be a few feet below him though, which was strange. His heart pounded in his chest as they stopped right below him. There was a slight scratch on the floor as something was being dragged across it. Something touched him again and he pulled back once more, this time so far, his back was pressed against something cold and flat; a wall. _Why does it always have to be cold?_ For some reason it felt like the entire room dropped several degrees. He shivered and felt his tail wrap tightly around himself as to try and keep him warm and away from the situation. "Edward," the voice came again. It was deep, firm this time, reassuring. Edward slowly cracked an eye open and saw Mustang's head poke above some sort of ledge. His black eyes bore into his wide golden ones. He had no clue where he was. It seemed like he was in the kitchen, but it looked different.

"Colonel, what was that?" Edward asked shakily. "Where am I?" The man looked at him, slight fear flickering through his eyes. Edward didn't know if it was for him or the strange thing that made that terrible noise, but he didn't like it. Mustang turned his head slightly and looked down somewhere that he couldn't see. A slight frown casted apon his face before he turned back to him.

"That was my phone. I think you good as killed it. It won't be scaring you any time soon," he muttered to him. Edward turned outrageously red. He closed his eyes and groaned to himself trying to cool his heart rate down. Afraid of the telephone. He attacked a telephone. What happened? He felt Mustang reach out and touch his hand. He pulled it backwards and muttered to him.

"Please don't." The man retreated a bit. There was a slight pause before he turned back to him. He must have been looking at Benjamin. He heard the butler start to sweep up the broken pieces of the plate. The tiny pieces tinkled into the rubbish tray. His ears twitched slightly at every sound. He couldn't believe that he was that frightened by a telephone. It nearly sent him into shock, making him think that he was back in the lab again in training. It was like he couldn't get away from it. He heard Mustang sigh heavily to himself. Edward cracked his eye open and saw that the man was massaging his face like the morning still hadn't worn off.

"Fullmetal... Do you mind getting down from my refrigerator?" Edward looked up curiously and slowly sat up. It was true. Some how he managed to get on top of the refrigerator. Edward didn't even know how that happened. He inched forward slightly and looked down. Mustang was standing on a chair to get to him while Banjamin was finishing up cleaning his breakfast off of the floor. He felt the blood rush to his face as he shoed the Colonel away so that he could get down.

"Sir, do you want me to throw it out or would you like to fix it later?" Benjamin asked the Colonel as he helf up the full rubbish bin.

"Throw it out," he said softly. Edward managed to hop down from the refrigerator. His clothes were all wrinkled and he was shaking slightly. He looked up to watch Mustang stare at him skeptically. This was the second time that morning that he completely freaked out. The man must think that he was pathetic. Edward growled slightly and he scowled at the man.

"What are you looking at?" he scoffed at him. The Colonel seemed to snap out of it and quickly turned around as if nothing happened. Edward caught him stiffle a yawn as he looked down at his watch. He must have been tired. Edward kept him up all night with the rescue and the story of his entrapment. The Colonel must have only gotten a few hours of sleep. He quickly strode over to the table and picked up his hat and jacket.

"I am going to work. Benjamin, you should get going as well don't want to be late," he said stiffly. Edward froze as everyone started to move around for the day. Benjamin tossed the broken pieces of breakfast out and shoved the dirty dishes into the sink to wash later. Roy placed his hat on his head and started to slip his jacket around his shoulders. Edward felt like the only one not doing anything and he hated it. His mind flashed back to the previous night when the house was dead silent and he was left all by himself. He didn't like it, the abandonment. There was a pit in his stomach that always thought that they weren't coming back. Now the only two other people, who helped him out through his escape, were leaving for work. It was probably only for a few hours, but what if they didn't come back? They were all leaving him alone.

"Y-you're leaving?"

...

_"Y-You're leaving?"_

Roy's heart nearly tore out of his chest when he heard those words come out of his subordinate's mouth. They were so broken and hurt, he barely beleived that they realy were from Fullmetal. His feet stuck to the floor and he couldn't seem to move. The entire kitchen was quiet. Even Benjamin seemed to stop what he was doing to listen to the boy. Roy slowly turned to look at him. The kid was frozen in his place, slightly trembling from the events that happened not all of five minutes ago. His golden eyes were wide and a glimmer of fear flashed through them like a faded memory. He looked just like a child whose parents were leaving for the weekend. Was this what he looked like when his father left him all alone? Roy shook that thought from his mind. He didn't want to think about that. Edward frowned slightly, his ears twisting a bit in disappointment as he looked away. Roy didn't know what was going on. His subordinate, the tough spunky teenager with a height complex had several panic attacks in the course of a few hours. It wasn't normal. He wished that he could go to work to ironically clear his head of all that happened and maybe get to the bottom of it, but he couldn't just leave the kid alone, especially just after that happened. He attacked his telephone, something obviously happened in the labs. The kid was scared of loud noises, human contact, and now Roy was just figuring out that he didn't want to be left alone. He was all alone in those labs for half a year fending for himself because he couldn't pull a search mission together in the right spot to find him. If he never sent Edward on that mission, he wouldn't be so damn afraid. No one should be afraid. _Except for those bastards who did this to him._ And yes, Roy had to admit that he was afraid. He was scared for his subordinate and he didn't know what to do. Roy tiredly lifted his hand to his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could either stay here with him or he could go to the office and find the bastards who did this to him. Roy looked at his subordinate. His tail was motionless, drooping depressingly down between his legs. He groaned to himself and massaged his face in anger.

"Fullmetal-"

"G-go," Edward muttered pathetically. He quickly grabbed his tail lightly in his hands as if trying to comfort himself. Roy faltered a bit. He wasn't expecting to hear Edward switch boats so quickly. Was he really okay?

"Fullmetal-"

"Bastard, I don't need you to babysit me. J-just go!" Edward scolded him harshly. He flinched slightly after he said it as if someone was going to punish him for speaking out, but he tried to keep his angered expression tight. After he seemingly made his point, Edward forced himself to stumble out the door, nearly dashing out of there. Roy was frozen stiff as Edward passed him quickly and silenltly. He didn't know what to do. Yet, before he could say anything or think, Edward's missmatched feet were already pounding up the staircase.

"Sir, I could call off today if-"Benjamin started but Roy slowly shook his head as he pulled his hat down lower over his ears. It wasn't raining outside but the skies weren't trustworthy.

"No, I will be back in only a couple hours. I won't take long," he mumbled. "Edward knows my number if he needs anything until then."

"Sir, are _you_ alright?" his friend asked him with a worried glance. Roy thought about the man's question for a second longer than he really wanted to. Was he alright? Edward scared him half to death twice this morning. He had no clue what happened to the kid and slightly didn't want to know. Whatever it was, it was hard. Was leaving him, even for only a couple hours, the right choice? Roy found himself terrible at making choices. The guilt of the wrong answers were always piling up on him till he suffocated. Roy definitely made the wrong choice in sending Fullmetal on that mission. It was his fault he was in this mess and Roy feared that the kid would never forgive him. _It isn't forgivable what you did to him._

"Y-yeah, I am fine."

...


	9. Poisoned

_Authour's note: Okay everyone! This is the last of my queued chapters! from now on I will try to update at least once a week if possible but no more daily updates! (sorry!) Got nine chapters this week but from now on there will only be one. It takes time to write with my schedule but I will see what I can do with two stories. _

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

CHAPTER 9

Poisoned

"First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, Central Branch," Riza said into the phone as she waited for the office hours to pick up. She always got to work early and no one was ever in the office at that time for their commutes were always longer or they just woke up late like usual. There was no excuse for Havoc and Fuery to be late since they lived on Military housing right next to or even on the base. Yet even though she would have to chew them out later for being tardy, Riza was slightly glad to be alone in the morning. It gave her enough time away from the chaos of the men to think to herself at least for a little while. However, today, the phone decided to interupt her.

"_H-H-Hello?" _a shaky voice came through the line. It felt relieved, yet frightened at the same time, the pitch wavering ever so slightly. Riza thought there was something rather familiar about it but she couldn't really remember what.

"Good morning, who is it that I am speaking to?" she asked as politely but tight as possible. The hardest thing about being in the military was talking. You couldn't piss someone off by being too overbearing but you couldn't be a push over either. Jean always marveled how well she was able to speak and pronounce herself, but she always told him that it was all because she had to learn how to deal with men. There was a long pause on the phone and Riza thought for a moment that they were cut off but then she heard a small breath hitch from the other side and knew that the person was just taking their time.

"_Hawkeye, it's me,... Edward_," the kid muttered. Riza nearly dropped the phone but she gripped it tight, trying to keep her composure down. She remembered the shock that rang through her system when the Colonel called about finding him. It was late, very late in the evening while they accidentally found a drug bust in the abandoned warehouses on their search for their co worker. The team nearly broke down crying at the news and it took all of her efforts just to keep them in line. When she woke up that morning it seemed like a dream. She actually believed it was all just a part of her imagination until now. After six months she was now finally talking to the kid over the phone. The office, that seemed to gain a very depressing aura around it finally started to lighten up. Havoc and the rest of the team must be so releived, however Mustang must be more so. The torture of it all was killing him which in turn was killing her. Riza saw how he was dragging his feet through the office every single day, hopefully it wouldn't be the same this morning.

"Majour, what happened? are you alright sir?" she asked him rather formally. It was strange still knowing that the kid's rank was higher than hers. There was a long pause. It seemed that the kid was having trouble gather his thoughts together. Riza was slightly worried. That wasn't the angsty teenager that they knew, maybe that was why she couldn't recognize him.

_"I-I am fine," _He asnwered a little too unconvincingly._ "Is the Colonel there yet?"_

"Sir, it's only ten past seven. What time did he leave?" She asked. The Colonel usually didn't arrive to work until seven thirty, sometimes eight. Even Edward should have known that. It was a rather long commute from his house to the office.

_"S-Seven,"_ he mumbled into the phone guiltily.

"Edward, he won't get here until a bit later. Are you sure you're alright? Did you need something?" Riza asked him. There was a pause and slight shudder from the line as if he was shaking his head, forgetting that she couldn't see him at that moment.

_"N-no, I just... Nevermind. Good morning," _Edward finished. There was a quick click from the phone and the line was cut off. Riza looked down at the phone as if there was something wrong with it before setting it back down on the reciever. Was he alright? What happened to him? Riza wanted to call back but she knew that Edward most likely wouldn't reply. He was stingy on any kind of conversation so far it was unlikely to change within the next few minutes. It was also a military line so she couldn't make 'house calls' even if it was to another soldier. Riza shook her head to herself as she sat back down in her chair and looked over a few pieces of paper work that scattered her desk. Usually she would have had them all finished by now, but she just couldn't focus. Why wouldn't anyone tell them anything? Fullmetal was missing for a few months and then popped up out of the blue as if everything was fine but it wasn't. No one but the Colonel even caught a glimpse of the boy since he returned and they didn't even know what had happened to him. What ever it was though, it must have been drastic. Even over the phone, Riza could hear something strange in the kid's voice that was never there before. Was it fear? Embarassment? Guilt? She couldn't tell but it should never have been there to begin with. Riza glared at her papers with burning eyes. As she reached down to pick up her pen, she froze as a loud piercing cry rang through the silent office.

_Ring Ring Ring._

_..._

Roy stumbled into the office at eight o clock. The traffic was terrible on the road and it seemed every single person decided to leave their house at the same time. Roy groaned as he crawled into this office and carelessly tossed his rain coat and hat on the back of his chair. Jean, Fuery, and Breda were all sitting silently at their desks, playing with their pens as if the stacks of paperwork were going to finish themselves. Fuery had a bad habbit of chewing his pens and it seemed on this particular day, that habbit turned into an addiction. Roy collapsed in his chair and massaged his aching brow. Everyone in the office was tired from the late nights that they had the other evening. While Edwarrd had kept him up all evening with his sudden appearance, the team was out busting drugs. The lack of sleep showed in their eyes and especially in Breda who was snoring quietly over his desk. It looked like Jean took the initiative to scribble a mustach on the man's face to chase away boredom, but it did nothing about giving him a few more hours of sleep. It was nice to know that the news of Elric's return did brighten up the office a bit even though sleep depriviation was fighting back hard. Jean was pulling pranks again after the long and terrible hiatus he had been going on since Elric left. However, Roy wasn't in the mood of celebration like they all were, as soon as Roy picked up his own pen Hawkeye was towering over him with a small bound of papers in her hands. He groaned to himself knowing that they were for him to fill out, but instead of slamming them on his desk like she normally did, she took the liberty of sliding them into his breifcase along with a few unused pens. He looked at her, wildly confused as she clicked the lock shut and handed the case to him.

"Sir, you need to go back home now. Take your paperwork with you. I expect it to be done by this evening. I can come pick it up later," she ordered him.

"Lieutenant, what-"

"Sir, the Chief has been calling every five minutes," Jean replied casually glancing at his wrist watch. "I think one is due in exactly one." Roy glanced at the clock. It was four past eight. He was only gone from the house for an hour. What could the kid want?

"I got the first call at Seven-ten. Sir, he wants to talk to you," she told him.

"About what?" Roy asked but everyone shrugged, except Breda that is.

"Is he alright, Colonel?" Fuery questioned him, pushing up his thick glasses. "I took one of the phone calls and... he seems sick or something. He didn't really hold a conversation at all, just listened. What happened?"

"Sick? He was fine when I left," Roy answered. He specifically left out the part where Edward threw the dinner plate against the wall, killing his kitchen's telephone. Fullmetal didn't give him permission to tell everyone yet, and he thought it best if he didn't tell them right now. His entire team was still in shock from learning of the retrieval of their co worker it might be sending them over the edge if he told them what Edward said to him. He knew he was going to have to tell some one sooner than later but now wasn't the time. All he wanted to do was come to work to investigate the random clues that Fullmetal had given him, but he was already being kicked out of the office _by_ Fullmetal. Was he alright? Roy still didn't learn the exact details that happened in the labratories, but it was enough to make Edward fidgetty and afraid of everything.

_Ring Ring Ring_

Everyone turned to stare at the phone that was ringing off of the Colonel's desk. Roy glanced at the clock; eight- five on the dot. He carefully reached down and picked it up. The other end clattered heavily to the floor, almost blasting his ear drums out. He heard heavy footsteps fade away as if he was running from something. _Or to something._ Whatever it was, he imediately knew that it was Fullmetal. There was perfect silence over the line for nearly ten minutes. Roy sat at his desk with the thing pinned against his ear with his shoulder as he tried to get a head start on his paperwork. His subordinates, all except Breda that is who was still asleep on the chair, went back to their own work even though it was obvious that anticipation ran through them. Everyone wanted to know what happened to the poor kid. Roy was practically on the edge of his seat waiting for the kid to answer. The footsteps slowly staggered back over to the phone, the metal foot crisply defined about the tile floor. He must be using the phone by the entrance way where the tile floor met the carpet. The device clattered and heavy breathing ran across the line. It sounded like the kid ran a mile.

"Fullmetal?" Roy said into the phone. There was a slight gasp.

"_C-co-colonel," _the kid answered as if he wasn't expecting him to be on the other end. The kid's voice was shaking terribly and there was a loud clanking from the other line. The kid must have been holding the phone in his automail hand but it was trembling terribly. Frankly, just like Fuery put it, the kid sounded ill. It couldn't possibly be anything that he ate since the kid only took one bite of his omlet before throwing it against the wall. However, in Edward's case, it might just have been.

"Fullmetal what is going on, are you alright?" Roy asked, trying hard to mask his terrible concern. It wasn't working.

"_C-Colonel, w-when are you c-coming back?"_ Edward sounded like he was begging more than anything, but that definitely couldn't be right. The Fullmetal Alchemist never begged. _Except for that morning. _Roy remembered the look on the kid's face when he said that he was leaving for work. He mentally slapped himself. He should never have left the house knowing that the kid was this afraid. If he was sick, that just made it ten times worst. Roy glanced up at Riza who gave him a strict overbearing glare. She wouldn't let him stay in the office for longer than he needed to. She was obviously terribly worried about the boy. Roy wondered how many of the phone calls she had to take before Jean or the others arrived.

"I got my paperwork," Roy sighed to himself reaching out for his breifcase, "I will be right back. Is there anything else you need?"

"_I-I d-don't kno-ow,"_ he shivered through the phone. There was a slight wincing groan from the other line before it clattered to the ground. His footsteps retreated once more and Roy sighed to himself. He didn't know how long the boy would take this time, but it would be better if he got there sooner. He hung up the line and carefully grabbed his coat again. The clouds were threatening to break open into another storm but so far they were holding off. He slipped his coat back over his shoulders and picked up his case. Riza and everyone stared at him, expecting an answer from him explaining what was up with their friend.

"Upset stomach," he muttered under his breath. They all nodded their heads in acceptance, knowing how much food the kid took in. It was no wonder he didn't get food poisoning yet. However, it was plain as day to him that they didn't accept that as the full answer. They knew something happened to Fullmetal that he wasn't telling them, but he was glad that they didn't ask.

"Sir, what should we do if you get in some more orders?" Jean asked curiously. "Should we call-"

"No," Roy quickly scolded him. Jean quickly closed his mouth. He didn't mean to be so blunt but he remembered Edward's reaction to the telephone ringing. He didn't want to wast another line just because one of his subordinates had a stupid paper he had to sign. Roy shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose in pain. "No, just... I will call a few times to check up on progress. Don't call my house." The lot of them seemed absolutely confused with his orders, all except Breda, but they nodded their heads.

"Is there anything you would like us to do, sir?" Riza questioned him as he walked towards the door to leave.

"Research all the hospitals including the military ones. Try to get all of the information you can on them and try to set up a few search warrants. Look more into that Jackson guy we were investigating-"

"But that was a dead end sir-"

"Just do it. I need to go look after the kid," Roy ordered them. As he went to leave, his subordinates saluted him and he gave a careless wave back before heading out of the doors. Fullmetal was getting to be a pain in the butt.

...

Sweat dripped down Edward's face. He felt like he was on fire, his temperature rising ever slowly. His stomach gave a painful jab as it gurgled and raged at him. He groaned back at it as if that would calm it down, but it just hissed back at him. He opened his eyes, and took a small glance at the grandfather clock that was across the room. It came out blurry but he could make out that it was only half past eight. He shut his eyes again in pain and curled his tail around himself comfortingly.

The entire house was sent into a stiff silence after Benjamin and the Colonel left. Edward tried to preoccupy himself, trying to get his mind off of how quiet the house was but he couldn't stand it. It was driving him crazy. Every minute seemed like an hour; an hour of silence, an hour of solitude, and hour in the labs. He couldn't seem to get away. His mind kept wandering back to when Roy left. His back turned to him with out a second glance and left into the blinding light of the morning. For a slight moment, he saw the man's black mane turn into the golden ponytail. Edward desperately wanted him to come back. He wanted someone to talk to, to take him out of the mind drilling silence. But, he couldn't just stand there and beg for him, he wouldn't allow himself. So, that morning, he just let the sound of his car abandon him to his thoughts. Edward tried to preoccupy himself by turning on the radio. The constant noise, music, or the broadcasts were comforting as they slit the quiet air throughout the house, however, it didn't last long. An Emergency Alert System Drill was set off at 7:05 that morning and it casted a bone drilling buzz through the entire house hold. Need less to say, the radio ended up much like the phone that morning, on the ground in pieces, and he was sent back into the unbearable noiselessness. He could hear the clock tick the seconds by but it wasn't enough. It wasn't comforting, reassuring. Edward waited, curled up by the door for someone to return. The Colonel said that he was only going to be there for a couple hours. It was all going to be fine. Edward took another glance up at the clock; 7:09. Two hours wasn't soon enough. He called the office once to find that Riza was on duty. It was a bit awkward for him to hold the phone since his ears were now located slightly higher on his head. However, the voice was comforting, it was distracting enough for the few minutes that they talked, but it didn't last long. He was driving himself insane every moment he was lost in the silence of the house. He called again, and a few minutes later he called again. Edward ended up curling himself underneath the entrance way table, with the phone wrapped safely on top of his lap. He needed to hear something.

Edward clutched his stomach as it gave another jerk. He tried to keep everything in but he had to make a run to the bathroom to empty his stomach. It started at 7:40, the growling pain. He didn't know what was going on, but he didn't like it. Knives seemed to stab themselves into his side as he dry heaved into the toilet of the downstairs powder room. It hurt, trying to give up what he didn't have. It wasn't equivalent. The only thing he had that day was a large bite out of his omlet. It was the only thing that went down and the only thing that came up. He didn't know why something so simple would make him so terribly sick. His body shook as he clutched his stomach, trying to soothe it, finding himself silently wishing for that watery substance the lab men fed him. That never upset his stomach. _What are you thinking? Do you want to go back there?_ Edward felt a jolt and he poured more nothing into the porceline bowl. He collapsed to the floor, absolutely tired. At one point, Edward attempted to get a glass of water to try and rinse the nasty taste out of his mouth, but turning the running faucet on in the kitchen was a bad idea. He accidentally threw the glass against the handle as the water splashed against the bottom of the sink. The sound was terrifying, but the silence afterwards was even more so. The glass managed to push the handle back far enough to stop the faucet before it shattered. Edward was left on the floor trying to dry himself from the water that wasn't there. After hearing it, he could just feel the water soaking him to the core and drowning him. He needed to get it off, but he couldn't remove what wasn't there. He ended up just wrestling himself against the tile of the kitchen floor, his struggle ripping the shirt that Roy let him wear. After finally managing to calm down, Edward imediately raced back over to the entrance table and crammed himself into the deepest corner underneath it and called someone. He needed to talk.

Now, Edward was collapsed on the floor from near exhaustion. The fever that started up was burning through him like he was a slim piece of paper. Sleep seemed like a terrific idea to him, but though his eyes were closed his mind wouldn't seem to leave him alone. It was still as silent as the labs were down underneath the hospital. He found his mind drifting back to the cage he was locked in for so long. It terrified him. All he wanted to do was to be safe. His eyes would snap open every so often wide and alert as he tried to grab onto his surroundings. Yes, he was still in the Mustang residence... alone. The Colonel said he was coming home as fast as he could. Edward waited for the moment that door opened in both longing and fear. He wanted someone to be there, he wanted to know that he wasn't alone, even if it was with the one person he didn't get along with. Yet, he was ashamed. He didn't want to admit to Roy that he was too weak, too scared to stay by himself for even ten minutes. He practically begged the man to come back. He disgusted himself. The Fullmetal Alchemist wouldn't have fallen so low, depending on a bastard like the Colonel to care for him. It seemed a long time since he was the Fullmetal Alchemist and he didn't quite feel like he was qualified even to take the name anymore. It was just a facade that he was running off of to try and feel like everything was normals, like he wasn't scared of the silence, the noise, the running water. He wasn't the Fullmetal Alchemist anymore.

...

Roy growled to himself as he fumbled for his keys at the door. He hated having to do paperwork, but he even hated it more that he had to take it home with him. His house was a sanctuary, a fortress of pure work-free happiness. He knew that when he took wore home it seldom got done. However, his mind wasn't on his paperwork that morning, it was more on the question on what his subordinate was doing. He seemed worried sick over the phone, or just plain sick. Roy was wanting desperately to kick the door open and run in to get Fullmetal to make sure he was alright, but the other half of him was too scared to open the door. He didn't want to see what state he was in that forced the rambunctious teenager to call him, as well as the others at work to come home. Whatever happened to Fullmetal it shouldn't have. Roy wished that he wasn't blind when he sent the kid on that mission. Maybe he would have gone instead and he wouldn't have costed his subordinate so much pain. Then again, he could just be over exagerating it all. What if Edward was perfectly fine when he walked through the door? Would all of his worry be for nothing? Roy noticed that he had his hand on the door knob for over five minutes now, debating whether or not to open it. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he twisted the knob. _Now or Never._

As Roy walked into the house, he found multiple things wrong with it. One; his radio that normally sat on his living room table was scattered all over the floor in millions of pieces, Two; there was a terrible stench in the air, floating its way out of his downstairs powder room, Three; Fullmetal was nowhere to be seen. The house stood strangely quiet as Roy slowly closed the door behind him, locking out the turning weather. The only thing he could hear was the ticking of his large grandfather clock. He waited for a slight moment as if the kid would magically appear infront of him, but everything was still. Roy sighed to himself as he set his breifcase down and shrugged off his coat, hanging it on the rack near the door. As he tossed his keys into the dish on top of the entrance way table he glanced down to notice that his telephone was gone. One pair of bare feet poked out from underneath the table. Roy curiously bent down to investigate, finding that Fullmetal was curled up underneath it, cuddling the phone reciever in his hands. He looked to be sleeping or in a light doze but his dirty face was contorted into a slight scowl, completely coated in sweat. The kid looked terrible. His body was shaking and he was breaking down. Roy carefully reached out and touched the boy's grimy forhead but drew back quickly as he nearly burnt his fingers on it. This wasn't good.

"Edward," he whispered urgently, trying to pull the child out of his fever induced trance. He shook the kid's shoulder slightly but only recived an absent minded groan in response. Edward's ears were pressed tightly down to his head in submission to the illness that came over him. Roy desperately looked around, not knowing what to do. He slightly wished that there was someone else there with him to help, but he was alone in his large house with the kid. When he walked in, he was not expecting to find him like this, so terrible he couldn't even move. Roy glanced back to where his subordinate was shivering on the cold tile floor. He needed to move him. Roy bent down and wrapped his arms around the kid's shoulders and under his legs. The kid's tail was curled tightly around his quaking body. He faltered a bit when he caught sight of it quivering along with his subordinate. It was so strange seeing the kid with new parts that shouldn't have been there, it wasn't natural. Roy kept forgetting what happened, trying to pull an easy facade over everything and pretend its okay, but it wasn't. Whenever he looked at Edward and saw those... things on him, he knew that he failed as a commanding officer. He was supposed to protect and lead his troops, not send them to hell which Edward must have seen first hand twice in his lifetime. Roy paused as he stared at his ill fated subordinate. He was so damn sorry for what happened, but how could he ever tell the kid that? If he did, that would be admitting his weakness, it might just break the kid's heart if he didn't blame him already. He was too prideful to do that, and the Fullmetal knew it. All he could do now was to help the kid through this. _Only if he would let him._

Roy shook his head and carefully pulled the small blonde out from underneath the table. Heat was radiating off of the kid's body like no tomorrow it almost felt like he was in the desert of Xing. As he shifted his weight to pick the boy up, golden eyes shot open in a flash. Edward let out a yelp of distress and his fist shot out and nailed him in the face. Roy clutched his head in pain and basically dropped the kid as he fell backwards from the force of the punch. Edward scrambled backwards, eyes wide in shock, his body still shaking from the fever and excitement. Suddenly, as if an over demanding force came over him, Edward jolted up onto his feet and dashed over to the downstairs floor powder room where the door was still hanging ajar. Roy heard the wretching noises as he tried to shake the stars from his vision. _That's where the smell came from._ He felt a lump start to stiffen his jaw where the fist collided. He really needed to remember that the kid didn't like to be touched. Dazedly, he got up and stumbled over to the entrance of the bathroom. He spotted Fullmetal curled up on the tile next to the porceline toilet, panting heavily for air. He looked rather pale compared to the crisp white floor. Roy leaned against the frame of the door and stared down at his subordinate, still feeling the power of his punch. Edward stared back at him with alert golden eyes and waited for him to do something.

"You want to lay down?" The kid nodded his head as his stomach gurgled another time. It was obviously food poisoning, but Roy didn't know from what. The kid barely had an omelet today, did he raid the pantry? It couldn't have been the eggs since Benjamin made all of theirs together and he didn't feel anything. Roy offered his hand out to help Edward off the ground, but he tried to ignore it. Fullmetal stumbled up, nearly falling over into the toilet and then the sink, before managing to make it out of the door. He looked like death, his tail quivering tightly to his rattled body. Roy walked beside him and led him to his bedroom which he strangely abandoned the night before. By the time they got to the landing, Edward was subconsciously leaning against Roy and using him like a support as he walked. His head was pressed dazedly into his chest as he guided him through the house. Roy could feel the kid's temperature burn through the heavy cloth of his uniform. He heard the kid mumbling to himself under his breath but he couldn't make out any of it. Was the kid delusional?

"_It fucking hurts."_

No, he was just tired and grumpy. Roy wondered how Alphonse ever managed to take care of him all those times he was sick. By the time they got to the guest room, Roy was half dragging the kid. He pulled him with much effort into the bed. The kid looked like he passed out again, but Roy wasn't quite sure. The last time he thought that he got socked in the jaw. Roy huffed under his breath as he questioned himself on what to do next. It was at that time that he noticed that his shirt that he gave Edward to wear was terribly ripped. How he didn't notice that before, he didn't know, but it was barely hanging over the kid's shoulders now. What happened? It didn't look like he was physically hurt at all, but the shirt was shredded. The boy shivered under the little warmth the rags gave him. Though his body was burning, Roy pulled the covers up over him. As he turned to leave something snagged on his military's coat sleeve. He looked down to see that Fullmetal's automail arm was outstretched and clinging almost impossibly lightly onto his sleeve. A tired golden eye poked out of his mess of bangs that scattered his face. Roy caught an unmistakeable glimmer of sadness run through his eye. It nearly struck him cold how pathetic his subordinate was looking at him. This wasn't the Fullmetal he knew. This wasn't Fullmetal at all.

"Edward are you alright?" Roy asked him after a long moment of silence. The kid paused for a moment before nodding his head. His hand dropped uselessly to the side of the bed before it curled up and disappeared beneath the covers. The kid looked down at the floor as if slightly ashamed to have bothered him like that. Roy wasn't even slightly convinced that the kid was fully alright but he nodded his head stiffly, trying and failing to give the kid some reassurance.

"Alright, I'll go get you a bucket and some water. Be right back," Roy told him.

...

Roy swiped the glass off of the counter as the other end of the telephone rang. He held the piece up to his ear with his shoulder and brushed the glass into a small rubish bin he was holding up to the edge of the counter. Edward made a terrible mess of his house in just a matter of hours. When he went down to get the kid some water he found several pieces of shattered glass surrounding the sink. It looked like the kid tried to get a drink but... failed. Fullmetal was a mess and Roy didn't know how to handle him. He acted so out of character today. On a normal day, the kid would have wanted anything to get away from him but now, it seemed like he didn't want him to leave at all. Something in his chest pained him to even look at the kid. Roy ruined that boy's life by sending him on that mission. What he wouldn't give to go back and fix it all. Suddenly the other end of the line picked up and Fuery answered the phone with his usual timid stutter. Roy, after picking up all of the glass from the counter, carefully set the waste basket down on the floor and held the phone properly in his hands.

"Kain, I have something important to ask you," Roy said stiffly into the line.

_"Y-yes sir?"_

"You like animals right? Are cats allergic to anything?" There was a slight pause on the other side as Fuery flustered about, trying to gather all information about the fluffy little animals as he could muster. He heard the kid call out to Falman, the walking encyclopedia. The man would probably talk for ages about anything. Roy sighed to himself as he absentmindedly tapped a finger on the edge of the counter. He looked around at the kitchen. Everything, besides the broken glass was in place which meant that Edward didn't raid his kitchen for anything to eat other than that cup of water. The only thing that the kid had to eat was the little bit of the omelet. It was possible that the transmutation altered a bit more than his outward appearance and made him intollerable to certain foods, unfortunately, Roy didn't know what those were. The phone was picked up again.

"_Sir, supposedly, um, they can't have grapes, dairy, onions, chocolate, and... sir, why is this important? Is everything alright?" _Fuery asked him. Roy groaned to himself and cursed silently. Yes it was the omelet. Benjamin made it with milk, cheese, and especially onions. The kid must have been so sensitive to it one bite was enough to send him over the edge.

"Everything is fine. Thanks Fuery, can you put Falman on the phone?" Roy questioned. There was a slight shift in the wire and the phone transferred hands.

_"Yes, sir?"_

"If a cat was supposedly to eat some... onions or dairy, what would-"

_"The feline would most likely go through some digestive pain and gas reflux along the sort. In extreme cases it could get violently sick but if it is stable enough the cat should be alright once the foreign foods are out of its system. But sir, i was wondering why this might be relevent because you don't like cats-"_

"Thanks Falman, that's enough," Roy growled underneath his breath. The man faltered a bit but soon said his farewells and hung up the phone. Roy placed his back on the reciever and slowly worked his hands on his face in an attempt to relieve the large amount of stress that seemed to follow him everywhere. What was he going to do now? The kid could barely eat human food, what was he supposed feed him?

...

_Black spyndly hands shot out of the ground and wrapped around his leg, dragging him helplessly backwards aagainst his will. His own fingers dug into the smooth slick ground of his mind trying to pin himself there but the things would not let go. They wanted his flesh. He could feel the dreaded energy rush through his leg as the arms gripped him tighter, choking his limb off of all circulation. They were touching him. A terrified yelp smacked off of his ears as his terrified, horror filled head turned to see a young golden haired boy trying to fight off several more pairs of black wiggly arms. They were wrapping themselves around him, trying to take him. Edward lurched his hand out towards the little boy, desperate to get to him but as he let go of the ground he was pulled farther backwards into the darkened void. He gripped the ground tighter trying to stop himself from slipping but he was slowly being dragged across the floor like a bag of garbage. The screams and shouts increased in volume as the hands wrapped tighter around their targets. Why did they have to touch them? Edward tried to reach for the helpless boy once more but the arms choked the little kid and his body seemed to break, shattering slowly like cracked tile._

_"God Damn it! Don't touch him! Alphonse! Please!" Edward cried as he struggled to fight off the relentless grip that was around his leg. Suddenly he felt his outstretched arm get jerked backwards as more black tentacles wrapped themselves around it. He yelped as they wound their way up his arm and he pulled but they simply pulled back harder, yanking him deeper into the room. A terrified scream rang through the room and the small little boy was completely crushed to dust as the hands dragged the rest of his crumbled body into the dark black abyss. Edward let out a hollering wail as tears tore down his face. He was gone. It was all gone. Laughter rang out from the darkness to which he was being pulled. Edward looked up, his heart pounding in his chest to see a man easily walking out of the dark abyss. His gleaming eyes peered out over his glasses with blood lust. Timmothy Tucker._

_"Ahh there you are. Don't fight it, Mr. Elric, you will join your brother soon enough," he hummed to himself. The tentacles tightened and tugged on him so hard it felt like his limbs were going to be ripped off. Edward struggled against them. He didn't want to go back. He couldn't, he wouldn't. Suddenly a red glow lit up around him, the terribly familiar circle forming around him. The arms started to grab him tighter, wrapping around his chest and waist, trying to encase him like the little helpless golden haired boy. They wanted to tear him apart. The arms started to stretch and crawl up his neck. Edward wrythed trying to get them off. He didn't want them on him but he stopped as he heard the laughter ring out again, freezing his body in place. He looked up and came face to face to a terribly deformed dog. His breath caught in his throat as the arms tightened around him._

_"Big brother Ed?"_

Edward woke up to a terrible sound hammering his ears. He felt something tight around him, pinning his arms to his chest. He tried to rip it off of him as he twisted around but suddenly something hard him him on the side. His eyes bursted open. They were wet and his vision was blurred slightly but he could make out the fuzzy form of someone's face. It was a cremey white with a shaggy mess of black hair. His eyes widened as he kicked out, trying to get back away from the man. He was coming back to get him, the Doc. Edward struggled to get away from him but it was no use, something was behind him, blocking his way to freedom. He was trapped. A hand came down for him, heading towards his head. Edward could almost hear the blazing whistle, scolding him for fighting against him but it didn't come. He tried to swipe the hand away from him but his arms were helplessly pinned down to him by some unknown force. The hand touched his forhead and he gingerly flinched away from the cool touch, closing his eyes shut, hoping that when he opened them it would all have just been a dream. He let out a pathetic whimper as he tried to collect his nerves together, but they just wouldn't stay with him. The hand quickly withdrew like it had touched acid but Edward stayed curled up on the floor expecting anything from the man; a loud noise, a tug on the ear, a bath, the silence meant anything.

"Edward?" the voice came out. It was deep and strangely familiar, exactly what Edward was not expecting, how cruel. "Edward, it's me, calm down, everything is alright." He felt something tug on whatever was wrapped around his chest. It started to loosen and his arms slowly fell limp to the floor, him not knowing what to do with them. Edward slowly cracked his eye open again, letting his golden orb attempt to take in the scene. A black eyed man stared back at him as the hands worked to untie him from a long sheet of cloth that was coiled tightly around him. It was a blanket. He froze as his mind gathered a the full concept on what happened. He had a nightmare again and must have tangled himself up in the blankets and fallen out of bed in his fright. His back was pressed up against the low rise of the bed, the metal frame digging into his back. Before he fell asleep the Colonel was finishing his paperwork at the desk in his room. He must have accidentally scared him in the middle of his nightmare.

Edward felt his vision go fuzzy again as his eyes became wet. He tried to blink the water away so that no one could see but it just kept coming. He truely believed he was back in the transmutation circle making the biggest mistake of his life. He thought that he was going to die there, but worse of all, he thought that Alphonse was truely gone. Edward turned his face away from the Colonel, pressing it deep into the carpeted floors as the tears poured down his cheeks. He was scared that the Colonel would see how pathetic he was, how terribly weak he was. It was just a nightmare but he was scared of it, terrified. The more Edward thought about it, the more it hit him. He was gone for six months, trapped in complete solitude form the outside world just to be poked and prodded like a zoo exhibit. Yet as everything was happening to him, no one came to save him. As Alphonse was by himself, so was he. All Edward wanted was for someone to be there for him but now, even as he finally made his escape, he still felt so terribly alone. He wanted Alphonse, whether it was a suit of armour or the young blonde boy he used to be. He needed to make sure he was okay. But, meeting Alphonse, he came to realise, would mean Alphonse would be meeting him. He would be able to see what had happened. He would have to tell him every little terrible thing that the scientists did. _What would his brother think of him then?_

Suddenly Edward felt something warm and heavy touch his shoulder. It felt like a hand. The heaviness grounded him for a sheer moment and for once Edward didn't shake it off. He felt a cry catch in this throat and he bit is lip trying to keep it there. The hand rested on his shoulder for a few moments as if it was unsure on what to do. Edward slowly reached up and grabbed the cuff of the sleeve, holding it to make sure that it was still there. He nearly forgot that he wasn't alone, not really. He sniffled slightly as he forced his tears to halt. Golden eyes glanced up and found the navy blue of a military uniform. The Colonel. The Colonel was never a person that he turned to when things went wrong. In his mind he wasn't understanding, he wasn't gentle, and he was simply a bastard. But the man was there. Edward gripped the sleeve a little tighter. Roy wasn't on the search party for him, he left him alone when he wanted him to stay, but the man for some reason was still there. The man was simply just there and Edward didn't know why, but he held onto the man for a little longer. He desperately wanted his brother, but right now, when his brother was across the country the Colonel gave him something that he couldn't quite explain. Was is assurance? Comfort? He didn't know and he was a little angry that the Colonel wasn't just kicking him out on the street like he expected him to because it confused him so much, but he chose not to think of it at that moment. Edward took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes, relaxing his hand back down to the carpet. The sudden exhaustion of the day fell over him. His head still felt warm from a slight fever but nothing too extraordinary. All he needed was a good rest. He felt the Colonel's hand withdraw from his shoulder seeing that he wasn't breaking down anymore as the man stood up. Something warm laid over him, a blanket, but this time it wasn't strangling him to death. Edward sighed as let his mind wander. The Colonel's foots steps carried him over to the other side of the room where the desk was and he heard the scratching of the pen pick up. Edward half expected him to just walk out the door and leave him there, but he stayed. _He was there._ A heavy weight lifted off his shoulders for a split moment.

"Thank you," he sighed with a deep breath he felt like he had been holding in for days. the pen stopped for a short moment but quickly picked up again as Edward curled up for the evening.


	10. That Evening

_Authour's note: Here is the next chapter? Sorry it took a while to write but I am also trying to finish up a Sorcerer's skill as well. I won't be able to write for either story much this weekend because I am running the Army Ten Miler on Sunday and we are spending the weekend in the District of Columbia. So this might be it for this week (and maybe next). However, I will try to write as much as possible between now and then!_

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

CHAPTER 10

That Evening

Hawkeye and Havoc knocked on the large doors of the Colonel's house. The weather had turned for the worse that evening and both of them were completely soaked after taking the short walk from their car to the man's front porch. Jean took a light puff of his water logged cigarette which was still amazingly lit. It hung out of his mouth at an odd angle as he tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for the door to open. They were both rather anxious to see how the Colonel was doing. Supposedly the Chief was staying over at his house for some unknown reasons and they both wanted to see how the kid was doing. From the phone calls they both knew that it probably wasn't good, but they wanted to know either way. The office had been questioning why there was a lack of information from the Colonel on the state of their coworker. There were many theories as to what happened but most of them were ludicrous tales about how the Colonel took the terribly ill Chief under his wing to train as his new side kick of justice. That was given by Kain who read too many comics during the short work break. Jean puffed out a cloud of smoke, knowing it was much to Riza's distaste and glanced at his watch. It had been ten whole minutes since they arrived and the door still hasn't opened. Thunder rolled out again through the large open sky and as impossible as it seemed, the rain poured down harder. The two of them carried separate files for the Colonel to look over. He had all of the research on the separate hospitals in central while Riza carried a few more piles of paperwork that the man needed to fill out. Though he was at home the woman said that it wasn't an excuse not to get his work done. Jean wondered why she couldn't just give the man a break, but knew that the Colonel rode a slippery slope of procrastination when it came to paperwork. After a few more minutes standing out in the rain, luckily under the shelter of the mansion's porch, Havoc sighed to himself and leaned against the frame of the door.

"Hawkeye, why don't you go home? I will give the Colonel his papers. It is getting late," he offered politely. Riza tightened her grip slightly on her files, reluctant to hand them over.

"Havoc, I will hand over his papers to him only," she said stiffly. Jean rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly in disbelief. That woman was such a stickler for rules and protocol he wondered how she ever got anything done. He reached out and knocked on the door once more just to be greeted with growing silence.

"Why do you think we are not allowed to call his house? It would have made things so much simpler," he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, trying to keep warm under his thick coat. It was strangely cold outside for the summer, even with the rain. Riza shrugged to herself not wanting to dig into the man's private affairs. Jean wondered how she could be so respectable like that. Wasn't it in human nature to be curious? It was obvious she was dying to figure out what really happened to the Chief but why did she have to be so... patient. He knocked on the door again and sighed as he glanced at the clock.

"Seriously, Hawkeye, you need to go home and feed Hayate. I got this," he muttered.

"You had a date didn't you?" her stiff voice replied. He nodded in defeat. He missed his date. He was supposed to meet a lovely Solaris at 7:00 but it was well past eight now. He just got so caught up in researching the hospitals that he didn't realise the time. Now he was waiting for over twenty minutes trying to deliver their files that it was unlikely the woman would ever go out with him again. He couldn't show up several hours late and expect her to be there. He would just have to call and get chewed out later which he was not looking forward too. She shook her head as if in disbelief, but even she knew it was believable. Jean couldn't seem to ever keep a girlfriend. After a few moments of hesitation, Riza handed over her thick pile of papers to him.

"The ones in the pink tab are mandatory and due by the end of the week. The ones under the blue tab are optional but tell him they are due by tomorrow so that he at least looks at them. The empty green tab is where he needs to put the paper work that he should have finished today so that it can be filed," she told him. Jean carefully took the heavy stack, feeling the pain the Colonel must feel when he sits at his desk, and nodded his head.

"Pink end of week, blue tomorrow, green today, got it," he noted, shifting the heavy weight around, wondering how she could have stand to carrying it for so long. After eyeing him a bit, she gave him a stiff nod and put her military cap back on her head.

"Pray to god that your woman is forgiving," she scolded him lightly before turning down the path into the rain. Jean sighed to himself knowing full well that he was going to be trudging through a pit of apologies when he got back home that evening. He waited for a few more minutes, in which Riza left, and then knocked on the door again. It was a full half hour until the door opened up. Benjamin was standing in the door way, waiting patiently for him to come in. He was soaking wet as if he just got in himself, probably coming through the back door. Havoc smiled at him and tipped his hat slightly.

"I got a few papers for the Colonel and some research for him as well," he said lifting up the large stack of papers with all his might. Benjamin nodded and stepped aside to allow him in.

"I am sad to say that the Master must have... fallen asleep or something of the sort, but I will go fetch him. He and Mr. Elric had a very eventful day as I heard," Benjamin told him. As Havoc stepped into the house the man quickly flicked the cigarette bud out of his mouth before he closed the door, smoothly locking it outside. Jean frowned slightly. He knew that people didn't like his habit all too much, but they could let him have just one. Everyone in the office was trying to get him to stop, but it was his vice, everyone had them. Jean tapped his wet boot out on the welcome mat that was paced inside specifically for that purpose and carefully hung his soaking coat and hat on the stand by the door. Benjamin gave him a towel before running upstairs for the Colonel, or Master as he called him. Jean sighed to himself and looked around the large house from where he stood in the entry way. He grew up on a farm out near eastern command; big mansions weren't really his style. They seemed too flashy and rather gaudy if you asked him. Yet, compared to the Armstrong mansion, he had to admit that this had a bit less of those feature especially with a broken radio lying on the ground forgotten.

Footsteps sounded from upstairs along with a long deep growl and Roy soon was stumbling down the stairs like he was just woken up. He looked absolutely exhausted as he dragged a crumbled pile of papers through the house. He tiredly handed it to him without a greeting, adding them all to the giant stack he was already holding.

"Um sir-"

"Shh," the man said drowsily, shifting his direction towards the kitchen. He stumbled along, disappearing around the corner. Jean waited for a little bit, but the man didn't come back out. He groaned to himself and trudged after the man, careful of where he placed his water logged boots on the clean floors. The Colonel was waiting by the stove where a pot of water was put to boil for a cup of coffee. The man was slumped over the counter as if begging for the water to boil faster. What happened to him?

"Sir-" Jean started but stopped as Mustang turned around to face him. He finally caught a good glimpse of the man and realised that the right side of his face was swollen and pink. He looked like he came across a gang of beaters. He was even more relieved that Riza went home now because if she saw his face there would have been war. "Sir, what happened?" The man groaned to himself and quickly caught the pot of boiling water at its peak and pour out a cup.

"Just a... little mishap," he muttered, dumping his instant coffee into his cup. "What do you have for me, Lieutenant?" Jean stuttered a bit, not knowing whether he should ignore the fact that his commanding officer wasn't thinking much of how painful his face looked. Yet the look in his eye had an all business attitude. Jean shuffled over to the table and placed his pile of papers down near a stack of groceries that Benjamin must have just brought in. The Colonel sat down across from him and took a long drag of his coffee.

"Sir, I have some papers from Riza," he said pulling out the two different tabs and sliding them across the table to him. Roy groaned as he absent mindedly tossed them to the side.

"Pink urgent, Blue unnecessary, she always was a little too on top of things," he heard him mutter under his breath. Jean smirked slightly as he heard this, shoving the Colonel's finished crinkled papers into the green tab folder for later. "Lieutenant, did you have a date tonight?" the man asked curiously as if reading him like a book. Jean felt his face turn a little red. Was it really that obvious? He pulled out his file next, the research on the hospitals. The man saw this and greedily snatched it from his hands before he could even open it. He started to flip through the few amounts of documents that he did manage to pull without extreme orders and signatures.

"Sir, I found out that there are several different hospitals that got a lot to hide, like one of them reuses needles and such which is an extreme health hazard, but I don't think that was what you wanted me to find," Jean said leaning over the table and glancing at his work upside down. The colonel shook his head and kept digging.

"Fullmetal wasn't too particular on describing exactly where the hospital was when he told me about it so I had to research all of them."

"You mean I had to research all of them," Jean muttered to himself. So this was about Fullmetal after all. Where was he? Jean shook his head, he had to get on with his report. He could ask questions later. Maybe Riza was right in patients is a virtue. Roy didn't look especially particular on answering picky questions this evening, just asking them.

"Alright, well, for some strange stuff that isn't needles," Jean continued lightly, reviewing his notes in his head, "There is a military hospital in the south western section that has almost no funding but seems to thrive off of donations from a single party who has a long term patient there with a broken pubic which should have healed back in the Ishvalan war. I have reasons to suspect he just doesn't want to go back into the military. There is one in North central that is now dysfunctional and shut down but a funding is still being placed up by the historian's society to keep it in peak condition. Finally, this is the strangest one that I have found, there is a military hospital with a full functioning Psyc ward but no one has been admitted to it since the early 1800's. I tracked the funding and found out that it is being given grants by the military itself to keep running." Mustang froze as he said this, glancing at the information.

"Jean," he said slowly. Havoc perked up hearing his name and his attention was brought on full alert. He must have struck gold with that research or else the man would have thrown the papers back in his face. "Where is this hospital?"

"Sir... it was the one we went to a few months ago, when we interviewed that Jackson character," Jean noted. A thin and rather deranged smile crept onto the Colonel's lips. With the man's swollen face he looked like a caricature from a haunting special. Jean shivered slightly. He knew that look. That was what the Colonel looked like when he knew he could one up someone, specifically the military. It was one of the reasons why he never played chess with the man. Obviously something was going on in that hospital, why else would the military fund it? But Jean didn't know what was so bad it could have possibly driven the Colonel into growing a face so full of cunning wit, scheming victory, and what even looked to be revenge. Roy quickly gathered up all of his research and stuffed it underneath his arm to look at later. He picked up his coffee and after taking a long, long sip, stood up ready to walk out for the evening.

"Thank you Lieutenant. This is perfect. See if you can find a search warrant for the building, wait, no, scratch that I will figure it out. That will be all. i am sure you know your way out right?" he said quickly, making his way towards the door leaving all of the other files on the kitchen table for anyone to see. Jean got up quickly and chased him down, nearly tipping Benjamin over who was coming in with another bag of soaking wet groceries. He plowed past him with a quick apology and caught the Colonel already turning the corner of the dining room.

"Colonel wait!" Jean ordered knowing full well his rank wouldn't allow him to do so. The man paused, looking at something around the corner of the room before quickly spinning around to look at him. Jean heard some shuffling around the corner but the man was standing perfectly in his way so that he couldn't see. There was a slight awkward pause as both of them stared at each other for a long moment.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" the Colonel said stiffly. Jean paused and studied him a bit. The entire office knew that the man was hiding something, specifically information about the Chief. Jean squinted slightly.

"Sir, why did you want us to research hospitals? Was our lead correct the first time?" Jean asked him. The Colonel let out a steamy breath making his puffed out shoulders droop a little bit.

"Yes we were correct." Jean felt like a javelin went through his chest. He was happy, he was excited that they were correct, they had the right lead and they knew it but that meant...

"We were so close," he muttered. They were so close to finding him yet not one of their rescue missions had allowed them that honour. Mustang found the Chief by himself several months after they thought that their lead was dead. If only they kept digging they would have had him sooner. Jean glanced up at the Colonel. "Sir, where is he?"

"Upstairs sleeping. He had some bad breakfast and got sick. He needs his rest."

"Sir, where is the Chief?" Jean gratingly asked again, trying to see through the instant lies that the man was putting up. Colonel looked slightly taken aback but didn't say anything more. Jean felt his blood heat slightly, his subconscious wanting to give the man a right hook to make his face symmetrical. It wasn't fair that the man was hiding him from everyone. They were all so worried about about the kid. The office was finally rising back out of its depressed dump but the man refused to let them know what happened to the kid. Did he expect them all to just let it go?

"Fuck Colonel!" he cursed to the world, the colonel giving no reaction what so ever, "Where is he? Why won't you tell us anything? We have been waiting for half a year to find the kid and now... Fuck! Now you won't let any of us see him. The only reason we know he is still alive is because he called us this morning! We were so close Colonel! You could at least give us our progress report!"

"Lieutenant stand down!" Mustang barked at him. Jean froze in his rant, almost forgetting his place. He knew he should never have exploded out like that, but he still felt the blood burning his face red. He needed answers. The Colonel's black gaze came down and bore into his blue ones. Jean looked away for a moment slightly over whelmed and ashamed that he just scolded his commanding officer like that. He took a slow breath and straightened himself out.

"Sir, I apologise for my rudeness," he said stiffly. "Those words weren't necessary."

"Lieutenant, they were necessary," the Colonel replied. Jean stared at him a little shocked. The man let out a breath as he continued. "I didn't tell you anything because it was not my choice to decide. It is Fullmetal's information and he believed that his personal state isn't needed to be common knowledge. You should realise this." Jean looked down at the floor slightly ashamed. He should never had challenged the Colonel like that because he also unknowingly challenged the Chief. Whatever happened seemed to still be going on. The chief was probably making a wise decision in keeping his mouth shut. He nodded his head in acceptance but a heavy hand was placed on his shoulder. "I am sorry."

"Yeah," Jean said, not knowing what else to do. He nodded his head as he tried to cool himself down, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. The Colonel kept his word no matter what and he must have given his to Fullmetal. Jean didn't want to get in the way of that. The Chief must have his reasons, even if he didn't like them. Jean took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Are we at least helping with this case? I don't want to leave the Chief alone on this," Jean asked softly. The Colonel smiled lightly at him and gave him a light pat on the shoulder.

"More than you can imagine," he answered, tightening his grip on the pile of files.

...

_"I don't want to leave the Chief alone on this."_

Edward sat, curled up inside one of the cabinets in the hallway outside of the dining room. Mustang had told him that if he felt up to it he should come down for dinner, and when he woke up after his nice long nap, he was. The fever had completely left him and he felt like he hadn't eaten anything in ages, his stomach hissing at him angrily. There was a bit of shuffling outside and Edward heard the footsteps of the Colonel and Havoc leave towards the kitchen before disappearing. He quickly crawled out of his hiding space and bolted for the staircase as fast as he could. He was stupid for coming downstairs at all. He heard some people talking but immediately thought it to be just Benjamin and Roy in the kitchen, but it wasn't. Roy wasn't there when he woke up, leaving him alone in the room with no knowledge of what was going on. Edward didn't know that some people from the office came over and more importantly, that person was Havoc. He wanted to go up and tackle the man, so relieved to finally meet another familiar face after so much time had passed, but he didn't. Edward was ashamed. Havoc, though not the best at getting women, cared a lot. If he would have seen him, the man might have just doubled over dead with heart break. He heard how close they came to finding him, he didn't want to show him what happened since they were late. Edward jumped up on the landing and quickly shoved him himself in one of the hall closets. He knew that Havoc wasn't going to be coming up the stairs in search for him. Even though he was a prankster, he did respect people and their places, though patients wasn't a virtue for him. But he just wanted to be safe. Their mumbled voices came up through the floors and into the small closet. Edward felt his ears twitch in the dark. He scratched them a bit out of habit as if he were testing that they really were real. They were. He couldn't believe that he was actually hiding from his friends. They should be able to understand, Mustang did. It was a freak tragedy that tore him apart and left him with nothing. But though it was a tragedy for him, it was also a tragedy for them as well. Havoc deserved to know what happened but Edward couldn't bring himself to showing him. He was too weak. He curled back farther into the closet, letting the long hanging coats lay over his head like blankets. Would the same thing happen when Alphonse came back? Suddenly, the door opened and light flooded in. Edward quickly closed his eyes, protecting them from the burning light as he naturally shrunk back farther.

"Sir," Benjamin's voice rang out softly, "I fear that the Colonel's business might take a lot longer than expected, would you care to have your dinner elsewhere? I am afraid to tell you it isn't going to be that delightful this evening." Edward nodded his head in response to another growl in his stomach, receiving a smile from Benjamin. The man held the door open and held his hand out to him but Edward heard the voices flow up from downstairs and he was a little afraid to move. What if Havoc saw him? He knew it was silly since he was all the way downstairs in the kitchen but he still didn't move.

"Do you think that I-I could have it here?" Edward mumbled slightly. The Butler nodded his head softly and gently, letting him know it was alright.

"Would you like me to prop the door open for some more light or-"

"N-No, it's alright," Edward mumbled. Benjamin slowly closed the door and his footsteps fell away, leaving him in the darkness again. Edward smelled it before he saw it. It was sweet and mouthwateringly delicious, dinner. It smelled rather familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, nor did he care. His stomach gurgled again, but he tried to hush it down afraid that someone might hear it. Footsteps came closer and stopped in front of the door. It opened and Benjamin set the plate down near the entrance with a fork, a glass of water, and a napkin. Edward almost froze at what he saw on the plate. A big lump of mush was delicately placed on it. He recognized the smell now as he stared at it. Cat food. Benjamin sighed sadly as he sat down in the door way, staring at the plate, obviously trying to ignore the disgusted face of the short alchemist.

"Yes Sir, I am sorry, but with your predicament we can't serve you anything else until we know that it won't poison you again. I am bound to pick up a couple recipes somewhere but right now this is the best that we have to offer. The master had me pick some up cans when I was shopping. I am sorry that my breakfast upset you so much," Benjamin told him. Edward looked up at him. The man seemed truly upset that his breakfast didn't settle with him that well. Edward frowned slightly and poked the plate of food as his stomach and nose teased him about it. He wanted to eat it because he was so hungry and it smelled so good, but it just tasted so awful. Yet, it was better than feeling like he was going to die after just a tiny bite of eggs. Edward growled to himself in distaste.

"You did say that dinner wasn't all that nice tonight," he mumbled as he slowly dragged the plate closer. Benjamin smiled lightly at him, seeing that he wasn't throwing it in his face. Edward poked it lightly with his finger waiting patiently for the man to leave, but the man didn't move.

"You know, one time when I was fourteen I accidentally got an entire can of taffy stuck on my head, don't ask me how this happened, but in the end I had to cut all of my hair off in order to get it all out. I had long hair like you back then so it was a very drastic change," Benjamin started randomly. He was staring off rather distantly into the great unknown as he reflected over the short funny memory. Edward thought it rather funny to picture the man with long hair, but even more so with candy stuck in it but he stayed quiet not really knowing where he was going with this.

"I tried to cover it up for the longest time but the more I tried the more people noticed. Eventually everyone found out and you wouldn't believe the horrible thing that my friends did," Benjamin said, dramatically waving his arms like it was a big deal. But the story stopped there. Edward waited patiently for the man to continue but he didn't.

"Come on man, you can't tell a story without finishing it!" Edward exclaimed. Benjamin chuckled at him and waved him down. Edward cursed at himself knowing that the man just wanted to get a rise out of him. It worked. The butler took a deep breath as if trying to remember where he was and casually leaned back against the door frame as if he was about to unload the story from his shoulders.

"They cut their hair off."

"What?"

"Yes, every single one of them cut their hair off because they wanted to understand how it felt to have absolutely nothing up there. Strangely enough though, it stopped some of the taunting that my enemies were giving me, but that's not important right now." Edward stared at the man like he was crazy, but Benjamin just gave a goofy grin back and laughed lightly. He tapped Edward's leg lightly, ignoring how he pulled back slightly at the contact. "Sir, what I am trying to say is, maybe your friends might not react exactly how you expected them to." Edward knew that he was talking about Havoc, maybe even his brother and others. For some reason it scared Edward how easily Benjamin could read people and know things. It was like butlers detected gossip and information like a radar, but Edward wasn't too keen on his advice. He couldn't picture Havoc shaving his head, or in this situation, growing a pair of cat ears and a tail.

"And if he does react how I think he will?" Edward asked. Benjamin shrugged slightly as he stood up from the floor, dusting his jacket off.

"Well, then I think it is what he decides to do afterwards that matters," he noted. Edward nodded his head, accepting the answer questionably. He gave a poke to the plate in front of him and the nasty mush jiggled a bit. He shivered slightly. The Colonel knew what happened, but he didn't tell him in excruciating detail. He was practically sent into shock when he found out. Edward shook his head. He couldn't do that to anyone else. Yet, like he heard Havoc say before, his absence was killing them. Edward should have heard how relieved they were to listen to his voice over the phone. At one point Falman actually had to leave the room when he answered his call. Benjamin smiled lightly and put his hand on the door, ready to leave the little crowded closet.

"Sir, would you like me to get you anything else?" he asked. Edward shook his head and thanked him. The man closed the door leaving him in the dark with the nasty dinner. The smell wafted up his nose, reminding him of how many times he was forced to eat it before. It was sad to see a human stoop so low as to eat cat food. His stomach gave a lurch. _Well you aren't really human now aren't you?_

...

Roy stiffly walked to bed as he finished ushering the Lieutenant out of the door. It had gotten really late in the evening and he was absolutely exhausted. It was strange how one kid and a pile of paperwork could get one so tired. Jean was rather upset that Fullmetal wasn't telling anyone anything about him, but he didn't hold any of it against him. Fullmetal wasn't telling the whole truth about what happened, Roy knew. Something must have happened to him that altered him so much he was trying to hide from reality. The kid hasn't been himself at all and Roy feared that he never will be. It might just be the cat ears and tail that is ruining the boy's self image, but Fullmetal was more introverted, out of place, and quiet than usual. Though he hated to admit, Roy deeply wished for the obnoxious and rude teenager back.

Edward cried that day. No matter how much he tried to cover it up, Roy saw that and it was something that could have scarred a man for life. Fullmetal never cried, it didn't seem in his nature, but Roy let him do it. He patiently waited out the tears, letting the kid hold on to his rather battered sleeve. The boy was broken and Roy didn't know how to fix him. The pieces were scattered everywhere and some of them the kid was still hiding for himself. Roy waited out the storm that the kid was throwing at him unknowingly and quietly hoped that when it was over and when the tears stopped that Fullmetal would have been able to put some of himself back together. He did. Unfortunately, when Edward picked up a few of his broken pieces of composure, he decided to shatter Roy as well.

_Thank you._ Roy nearly choked when he heard those words come out of the kid's mouth. The boy was thanking him for what he did to him. Did Fullmetal realise that he was the one who put him there in the first place? Did he realise that he wouldn't have been turned into a freak if he had just gone instead? No amount of hospitality that Roy gave the kid could make up for what he did to him. After the kid fell asleep Roy had to excuse himself from the room as if the innocent and naive air the boy was giving off was all too suffocating. He couldn't look at the kid without feeling immense guilt threaten to overtake him because when he looked at the beaten and destroyed image of Fullmetal, he saw himself. It was all too familiar, the nightmares, the fears, the paranoia, it was all he felt like when he went off to Ishval. He still knew what it felt like even today because as he hated to admit to himself, he still got those blood ridden nightmares that were always consumed in his own burning flame. Now, Roy had unknowingly given that burden onto his youngest subordinate.

Roy's head drooped slightly as he tried to force his way down the hallway and to his room. All he wanted to do was sleep. He had a tiring day with little sleep the night before. He wished that he could go to bed and think it all a dream, but he knew that every time he opened his eyes Fullmetal would still be here with his distorted and traumatized body and eyes begging for help that he couldn't give. Roy bit his lip as to withhold an aggravating cry. If only the kid would have let him tell the team or even Havoc about what happened maybe he could get the help he truly deserved. Roy had no clue how to handle the situation but he was quickly running out of blank lies to cover up his terrible mistake. Jean almost walked in on Fullmetal that evening. The kid seemed to not realise that it was Havoc in the house instead of Benjamin and had come down to sit with them at least but instead had to go running in fear as if Jean would turn him back to the labs. Roy felt bad for yelling at Havoc, forcing him to drop the subject of Fullmetal and his where abouts. He wished that he could have just told him that he was a mere five feet away from the boy, but he couldn't. He promised Edward that he wouldn't say anything about it and he kept his word. It seemed to be the only thing Edward trusted on anymore and Roy couldn't tear that away from him even if it might help. Jean left being none the wiser of what truly happened to Edward.

As Roy passed the hallway closet he heard a strange rolling sound coming out of it. He paused slightly. Was it the heater? He pressed his ear to the door curiously. He remembered the strange sound his subordinate was making that morning when he lay basking in the heat of his radiator. The kid was purring. Roy thought it to be absolutely ridiculous but he didn't want to say anything about it to the kid. For once he restrained himself. He slowly opened the door to find a filthy and grungy kid curled up on the floor fast asleep. It was barely recognizable as being Edward as his hair had faded ever so slowly from its golden shine to a dull brown from the lack of care and his white complexion was now covered with filth that he didn't wash off the night before. The kid's foot was still bandaged up tight as his foot was still cut terribly in several places from running without shoes on. Where his clothes were Roy could only guess back at the hospital where he came from. The boy must have been running for hours in the rain the previous day it was amazing that he didn't get sick because of it. Instead he got sick because Roy was too foolish to realise that his subordinate wasn't quite as human as he thought he'd be. Roy quickly shook his head chasing the thought away. _Fullmetal was Human inside and out._ A rolling purr seemed to hit him in the face as he watched the kid sleep silently in his closet. Fullmetal's face was contorted into a slight frown as if his dreams weren't giving him a break at all. The vibrations coming from his chest seemed to roll out timidly, trying to reassure the kid that everything was alright. Roy knew it wasn't. He slowly reached in and grabbed the kid from underneath the knees and shoulders and picked him up. He winced slightly remembering the last time he tried to pick the kid up, his face still hurting from the contact of the metal fist. But now, Edward was fast asleep and hopefully won't be stirring anytime soon.

Roy slowly pulled the kid out of the closet and with his foot scooted the empty dinner plate outside before closing the door. He could always clean dinner later, maybe in the morning. The dull thrums coming from the kid's chest were slowly hitting his and sent a rather comforting shock through his system as he carried Edward back to his room. Roy looked down at him as he struggled to rearrange his position as to not drop him on accident. Edward was curled up close to him as if subconsciously trying to draw his warmth out of him. The thrums were rolling ever longer now. He looked so helpless like a little toddler lost at the fair. Roy quickly looked away as he elbowed the door open to the boy's room. As soon as it opened Roy wanted to close it. It was strangely cold in there for the summer. He walked deeper and deeper into the room, carrying the boy as gently as he could but he couldn't force himself to put the kid down and walk away. As the cold sank through the thin layers of their clothes Edward curled closer to him, trying to escape the empty room. Roy sighed to himself as he sat himself down on the edge of the bed, the alchemist still laying in his arms. Edward was there, he was right there holding him and yet he seemed so far away. Roy wished everything away if he could have just sent someone else on that mission instead of the boy. The hurricane of guilt was swirling around in his chest and he didn't know what to do with it. Edward was suffering because of him, locking himself away from the world because he now was a science experiment. No human should ever go through that. They were already trying to fix his brother, but now they had to fix him too. Roy unknowingly shattered all hopes of returning them to their normal bodies in the matter of six months. What could one person do as a cat? Edward didn't seem to even look at a transmutation since he found him, let alone talk about one.

The two golden ears on top of his head twitched slightly catching Roy's attention. The fur was a bit matted like the rest of him and they flickered every now and then, rotating ever so slightly. Curiously Roy found himself reaching up and touching one gingerly under his fingers. It was so strange to actually feel that they were real. It was as if the whole situation was being forced into reality by the simple sense of feeling and knowing that this was a part of him now. He wondered how the kid must have thought about waking up with these things on him, both ears and tail. He was probably sent into a panic like he was when he found out. Roy could still feel the shock that ran through his system when he saw those things on his subordinate's head. Suddenly, Roy felt something small, but hard on the base of one of the ears. He slowly lifted the boy up as to not disturb him and peered back at the strange substance. It was like a crumbly red brown substance coating a small patch of fur and hair where the ear connected to his head. It was dried blood. Roy didn't know how he missed it but it seemed like something had ripped at the kid's ear, like something grabbed it and wouldn't let go. Whatever happened in that lab must have hurt the kid not just mentally but physically as well, no wonder the boy didn't want to talk about it at all. It was probably something that he didn't want to relive even in telling someone about it. Roy pursed his lips and slowly let a breath of warm firery breath out. Whoever did this to him was going to pay. To cause a teenager so much pain in his life that already had too little rewards was a sin, and Roy was going to send them straight to the burning flames of hell when he caught them. Edward deserved more than that. He deserved more than life had given him so far.

The boy twitched in his arms and curled up tighter to his core and away from the cool air around them. He sighed to himself as he glanced around the room. The boy didn't seem to like it in here for some reason, and Roy wasn't going to force him to stay there if he didn't want to. It sure was a surprise to find the boy curled up on the floor of his bedroom that morning but now looking back, Edward looked so content in staying there. It was as if it was his personal heaven. If it was a little luxury in the torturing aftermath it was one that Roy wasn't willing to deny the kid. Every an little thing helps, _but none could ever repay for what you did to him._ Roy quietly stood up, lifting Edward with him and carefully walked out the door, shutting the cold behind him.


	11. Closed Doors

_Authour's note: Sorry it took a while to write but October is cram month! College letters, recs, essays, wisdom teeth, ten miler, school, parents weekend. BLAH! Okay so this took forever and I know I also need to finish the chapter for a Sorcerer's Skill. I might be going crazy the next few weeks but I will try to stay with your guys on this. _

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

Chapter 11

Closed Doors

Edward woke up to a dull dim light in his face. It burnt his eyes and he struggled to keep them closed but the light was begging him to open up. He groaned slightly and flipped over on his stomach, turning his face away from the dreary pattering window. All he wanted to do was sleep. He felt so comfortable with his head plowed deep into the pillow and the deep thrums in his chest. He never wanted to fully wake up. It was warm and it was good unlike the cold and evil cages in the Kennel. He stretched his feet out to their full extent feeling the soft comfort of the blankets between his toes. He could finally stretch out and relish in the free space that the world was giving him. The bittersweet smell of smoke and fresh linens hit his nose as he inhaled lightly, completely evacuating his mind of the disinfectant smell he usually woke up to. It was different, but it was something that Edward would rather stay with. Yet, the sweet bliss of the moment didn't last.

Edward frowned slightly as he remembered the other evening, his tail drooping down against the bed. He left Havoc all alone. Even when he was standing only a few feet away from the man and he couldn't whip up the courage to even say hello. The pain in the man's voice nearly killed him. Jean was pulling a tough facade over everything, making it look like it was okay but Edward saw through it easily. He wore one of those masks everyday of his life he should be able to read one plain as day. Havoc was upset. Though Benjamin urged him to go downstairs, Edward didn't budge. He left his friend in the dark, not knowing what happened to him even though it was obviously torturing him. Edward deeply wanted to rush downstairs and tell Havoc that everything was alright, but he knew that it wasn't. He was too scared to show him how terribly wrong things went, how pathetic he had become. On several occasions he found himself actually leaving the safety of the closet to attempt to go tell Jean everything, but he ended up running back inside with his tail between his legs. Jean already had the mask on, Edward didn't want to shatter the rest of him too.

Suddenly Edward felt his ear twitch slightly as he came upon a realisation. He didn't fall asleep in a bed. Edward jolted up out of it in near fright, accidentally whipping his head around a bit too fast making him go dizzy. He rubbed the stars out of his eyes quickly as he could but the a pattering sound filled his ears causing him to lose direction of where he was. Edward stumbled past the post of the bed and his foot hit something warm and large making him fall over to the carpetted ground. A pained groan came out that wasn't just his and Edward quickly looked up, letting out a yip of surprise. His heart stopped beating and he felt it shot up into his throat. The dark haired man groaned again from getting accidenally kicked and started to stir, cursing lightly to himself. Edward's body went on complete autopilot. His feet picked him up off of the ground and out of the door, leaving the stranger in his wake. He bolted down the hallway, the cries from the man behind him hitting his ears in vain, his mind refusing to register them. It was him. They found him. Edward didn't want to stay around long enough for the punishment that the Doc was undoubted going to give him. He held his ears tight to his head, trying to block out any unwanted noise or hands to come hurt him as he hurdled himself down the stairs of the strange house. The footsteps and screams were racing after him and were at the top of the landing as he was already reaching the door. They were so familiar. The many upon many screams that scolded him and yelled at him as he left the horrors of the hospital were all ringing in his ears the exact same way. Edward flung the door open but his feet froze in place, unable to move. Water poured down from the sky in buckets of rain. Puddles soaked the front lawn and path as the dark sky took its turn. Edward's joints clamped up as he felt the misty wind his his face. The voices were coming closer and closer, now two and probably gaining forces. They bickered behind him as he tried to make himself run out the door but he couldn't move.

"Fullmetal," the deep voice said so close to him Edward couldn't imagine the man would have ran that fast. He felt a hand rest on his should just as an ear splitting howl attacked the air. Edward jumped out of complete fright, grasping his ears as the rings hammered against his drums. He jolted forward in an attempt to get away from the punishing sound but the instant he did, water was pouring down on him, spraying his face and drenching him. It was cold, it hurt. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? His legs kept running though as the water poured down on him. The ringing had stopped but he could still hear desperate footsteps hammering behind him. He needed to get out of there, he needed to be free, dry, safe. Edward raced down the path, water hitting his eyes as he approached the closed gate. He clenched them shut as he reached out for the latch but a sudden rolling noise crashed through the earth. A bright blinding flash of light followed and Edward let out a little yelp as he pulled back, obeying the commanding sounds to not touch the gate. He stumbled to the right and bolted down the giant rows of hydrangia bushes. They were like huge umbrellas, covering the ground with their wide spread. Edward felt the water pour down his face and seep into his panting mouth. The screaming cries from before were all but silenced yet Edward knew he still wasn't safe from those men in the lab coats. He was never safe, they always kept trying to get him back and they would never give up until they had him again. Another loud thunderus roll rang through the sky and Edward cried as his knees buckle, his automail finally giving into the pain of the damn weather. He collapsed to the ground, plowing into the mud as he clamped his ears straight down to his head. It splattered his face leaving a nasty taste in his mouth as he tried to climb out to safety but it was no use, even the earth covered and drenched in these gallons of water was drowning him, suffocating him. Edward stumbled and crawled underneath one of the dry hydrangea bushes. The mulch beneath them was dry and warm as it had neglected to be touched by the pounding water. He curled his knees up on themselves and pinned them to his chest, trying to cram himself in the small haven provided for him. HIs ports roared with a searing pain and his automail leg had basically given up on itself, too weak and hurt to continue. It's once shiny metal was now too covered in dirt to even recognise.

The footsteps that were once so far away drew closer and closer to him. Edward remembered the pounding sound of the herding scientist chasing after him, up the stairwells and outside around the alleys. This sounded just like them. He curled himself farther back into the bushes hoping that they couldn't find him. Maybe they would think that he was still running and would by-pass him completely. However, as the pounding footsteps came closer, they started to slow down until they were right on top of him. Instead of boots, Edward saw the pale white feet poke underneath the covering of the bushes. They were covered in dirt and mud which he too had run through, and seemed to be searching for something as if they didn't know he was so close. The man, who owned the feet, collapsed to the earth in complete defeat. The mud that Edward had once struggled with covered his long blue pajama bottoms, caking them with the dirt. Doc's back heaved and shuddered in a way that made Edward think that he was laughing, but the more he watched the man, the more he finally realised that he was sobbing. Tears flowed down his face from his eyes, hidden behind a mass of choppy black hair, and disquised by the already pouring rain. Edward's instincts told him to escape, to get away from the crazy balistic man in front of him, but for some reason he refused to move, his golden eyes locked on the image of the mad scientist. The Doc was muttering words to himself as he chuddered, gripping the earth with his bare hands as if to try and ground himself in the situation. Edward's ears twitched as they picked up a few of the phrases. The most recognisable ones he could hear was... I am sorry. For some reason, Edward felt a pain of guilt fly through his chest. That wasn't the same crazed man that strapped him down to the lab tables and prodded him with cold metalic tools, was it? Another pair of footsteps drew nearer, sloshing through the ocean of mud that now coated the ground. They were bare, just like the other man's but instead of blue pajamas they wore red plaid. The man knelt beside the Doc and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, his back facing the bush which Edward was hiding underneath.

"Calm down, Master, we'll find him. Roy, everything is alright," the soft voice hummed quietly. The man pulled away from him pathetically.

"How is everything alright, Benjamin? I sent him on that mission and now...," the man choked, his elbows collapsing even farther into the mud as he tried to silence his own cries. "I saw fear in his eyes. That isn't something a normal kid should have, but the worst thing is... he thanked me for it. I did this to him and he is thanking me." The man grabbed a small handful of Benjamin's clothes as he looked up, searching not for reassurance, but for conviction, punishment, everything that Edward was fighting against. "Now he's lost out here somewhere and I don't know what to do. I just keep making things worse."

"Sir, i don't think that Elric would blame you for this," Benjamin said in vain.

"He should," The man muttered. "I wouldn't hold it against him." The man's eyes watered up and the black orbs sank back to the earth in complete defeat. Edward let out a tiny gasp as he saw the deep dark colour of pain and hurt. That wasn't the Doc, that was the Colonel. The other man, Benjamin, stiffened slightly as he heard the tiny noise that Edward had let escape. He slowly bent down on his hands and knees and peered underneath the hydrangea bush which was up to now a very good hiding spot. The calm green eyes slowly caught his and a light smile slowly crept onto his face. His grey brown hair was matted down by the punishing rain. Edward pulled back slightly as his only exit was trapped and blocked by the man.

"Sir Elric, it is awful weather to be out in. Why don't we take you inside and dry you off?" the butler asked. He reached out a hand for him to take but Edward didn't move to take it. There was a sudden, shaky movement from behind the man and he heard heavy footsteps shuffling away in shame. Edward caught sight of the raggedy, drenched Colonel stumbling back up towards the large house, his head hanging low. His golden eyes watched him through the branches of the bushes until he disappeared inside of the house. As he watched his back, Edward saw a flash of golden hair for an instant before the door closed to the house. He blinked in surprise, a pain growing deep within him as he tried to figure out what man he was looking at; his father, or his commanding officer. Edward felt like dispair was going to swallow him whole. The Colonel left him. Another flash of lightning rang out and Edward stiffened, launching out from underneath the bush and tackling Benjamin to the mud. Edward felt the hairs on his tail stand up as his heart seemed to stop again. He dug his hands into the loose shirt the butler was wearing, afraid to let go. His mind swept back and forth between the terrible reality of the rain hitting hit face and the Colonel turning his back on him for the second time. His body was frozen stiff, just barely able to bend when Benjamin helped straighten him out and lift him to his feet. A shiver wracked his body as the butler lead him back towards the house, his hands still grasped tightly to the man's shirt.

"Come on Sir, let's get you inside."

...

Edward had a warm fluffy towel wrapped tightly around him as he shivered slightly from his dampened and dirty clothes. He was glad to be out of the rain but the door in front of him was closed tight as he waited outside hoping it would open in the mere future. After Benjamin helped him back inside and handed him a few towels to dry off with, he caught him up to speed with what really happened that morning. The loud obnoxious noise that had sent him out the front door was the telephone ringing again. Edward swore that he never heard a phone sound like that before but either way he was completely frightened. It was Alphonse who was calling. Benjamin had picked it up while the Colonel went out to look for him but didn't get as much as a panicked hello in before he too ran after him. Edward was worried if something happened to his brother, but he didn't want him to call back. He just didn't want the phone to ring again. Even thinking of the terrible noise that spewed out of the machine sent a shiver up his spine, forcing him to wrap the towel around him tighter. However, he knew that his brother would be calling back any moment now. It was a habbit that Edward wished he could break.

Edward patiently waited outside of Mustang's door, listening to the haunting pitter patter of rain on the hall windows and roof. The house stood quiet with only the soft muted sound of Benjamin taking a shower down stairs. Edward shivered again and bravely reached out a hand to knock on the Colonel's door. It was soft and pitiful, but it left a dull ring through the silence that befell them. The man hadn't come out of his room ever since he disappeared into the house. Edward was afraid, terribly afraid that he would never come out again. All he wanted was for someone to be there. The silence was deadly and even the slightest sound of the rain and the shower seemed to be drowning him. He was pathetic, he knew. He couldn't even last one day without relying on someone else's help. But the one person who he trusted to help him had turned his back on him. Edward couldn't help but feel shocked that he was on his own again. He had been on his own for six whole months in the labs and he didn't want to be alone any more. But the Colonel was shutting him out. Was it something he did? Edward tried to remember what the man was mumbling about outside in the rain but it was all a blur now. His mind had muddled everything together with its water induced trama. For all he knew, the Colonel was done with him. He had already broken several things in the house and caused a lot more trouble than worth keeping, there was only so much a person could take.

Edward sat down on the carpetted floor and waited for a few more moments. He knocked again but there was only a little inaudible mumble from the otherside of the door. Edward perked up a little when he heard the answer. At least he knew the man was there. However, the instant the noise died down, the silence swept back in. It was like having company over but not being able to see them at all.

"C-Colonel," Edward called out as he reached his hand out and tapped the door again. It was locked from the inside, he had already tried the handle before, so he just sat there patiently. Another mumble came out but this time it sounded like the man was telling him to go away. Against the command, Edward stayed put. When the door refused to open he knocked again and again, hoping that sometime it would open. However, the sound of the rain continued to pound against his ears and the door still stayed shut. "Colonel," he started but was cut off when a sudden loud piercing cry filled the house. Edward let out a yelp and tried to run forward in an attempt to escape the sound but he ended up smacking his face off of the door infront of him.

"Colonel!" Edward cried as he tried shovelling his way through the door, trying to get through but it was locked firm. The noise was hammering his ears in bursts of relentless sound. Edward tried to calm himself down, explain to himself that it wasn't anything to be afraid of but his own voice was drowned out by the ringing in his ears. Images of the Doc blowing whistles and horns in his face reappeared. The feeling of those leather straps came back and he could feel himself being restrained with every blast of the sound. _It was just the phone, it was just the phone. _ He tried to tell himself this but to him it wasn't just the phone. He pushed and pushed on the door trying to get away but it didn't open. Water started to streak down his face as he burried himself in the towel, muffling the noise from around him. For some reason it wasn't stopping.

"Co-Colonel!" he yelped again in a last resort. The door didn't open but the noise stopped after its final ring, leaving a stale air through the house. His body gave out on him and he collapsed to the ground where he stood. His breaths were still short and tears were still coming out of his eyes as he laid down flat on the carpet, his head propped up against the door where it fell. He shuddered and tried to wrap the towel around him a little tighter but his arms were limp. He had begged the man on the otherside of the door to let him in, but there was still no answer. He really was all by himself. Edward sobbed silently, curled up in the now dirty towel, stained with the mud that still caked him. He muttered to himself, trying to reassure himself that everything was alright, but he couldn't think of anything to say. Silence now stormed through the house like a stampede and was even more deadly than before. The rolling waves in his chest didn't move and he was thrust into his own despair. Edward shook his head, grasping his matted hair.

"B-bastard," his lips finally formed the words. "Y-you bastard." He felt like he was little again, only five, and waiting till the late hours of the evening for his father to just walk back through the front door like he never actually left. But he did leave, and he never came back. He turned his back on him and Alphonse just like the Colonel did. Now, Edward was desperately waiting for the door to open again, for the Colonel to come walking out. Why did everyone in his life have to leave when all he needed was for them to stay? His mother, father, Nina, they were all gone. His brother wasn't even there. But now, the Colonel. The man he believed to be a bastard all his life finally proved it when Edward thought that he might have been something else. _He didn't even go on that last rescue mission. _Another shudder wracked his body as the tears refused to stop, his lip quiverring in utter defeat. Was this all that life wanted to give him? He felt it before when he almost made it out of the labs, but even the nurse turned her back on him, too oblivious to see past the lies the scientists were throwing at her. It was like he was always so close to someone, but he was never actually there. Why was he doomed to be alone? Edward angrilly punched the door with all his might, his right hand crumbling underneath the force.

"You fucking bastard! You no good, fucking- Why?" he screamed as he continued to hit the closed door. "Why did you leave me alone? Why?" He heard footsteps racing up the hall stairs but he ignored them, choosing to beat the door to a pulp instead. "Open this door God Damn it! I know you are in there! Just- Why!" Edward pulled his hand back, ready to punch the door again but someone caught it and pulled him away from the door. His legs shot out and he kicked it instead until someone wrapped their arms around his waist and yanked him back so the door was out of his reach. Edward fought against the grip, trying to peel the arms from off of him, hating that he was being tackled again, restrained, but this time he was fighting. He didn't want to give in. He didn't care how many punishments he had to face for standing up, he wanted an answer.

"WHY? FUCKING ANSWER ME GOD DAMNIT!" he screamed as he struggled to get back over to the door that was still closed in his face.

"Sir, calm down," the voice of Benjamin came out but Edward didn't listen. He kept fighting till his body couldn't fight anymore. Benjamin's grip was strong but it didn't hurt. Edward wrythed but he saw himself slowly being pulled away from the door and down the hallway. He felt his body slowing down the greater the distance grew between him and the bastard's room. The tears fell down his face as he finally gave into Benjamin's hold, his body falling limp. The man was muttering words of assurance and comfort to him, but they did nothing to help him. The man eventually set him down in one of the spare bedrooms. Edward wanted to get up and run back out to kick down the door, but his body was too weak to do anything but lay there and sob to himself. He curled up on himself and grabbed a fist full of the blankets as if he was going to tear them apart. Benjamin slowly left the room and Edward heard his foot steps jump down the stairs leaving him in solitude again. Edward plowed his face into the soft bed, leaving wet mud marks on the clean cloth.

"Why?" he whispered to himself, his voice being choked out by his own shuddering breath. The rain pattered against the window but Edward didn't move. He was completely numb from everything around him. He gave in and let his silent and desperate cries surround him completely as they were going out unheard. A sickly sweet smell trickled in through the door as Benjamin walked back in with a dish of nasty mush in his hands. He set it down on the night table beside the bed along with a fork he knew that Edward was going to forget about. Edward turned his face away from the man, refusing to let him in, yet the man didn't seem to see the wall he was trying to put up.

"Don't worry Sir, I will have a chat with him," he heard the man say. His voice was tense, almost angry. Edward never heard that tone from Benjamin before, but he didn't care to point it out. The door closed on him, leaving him in the silence of the rain.

...

Benjamin frowned as he felt his eyes furrow in fustration. He hated getting angry, it was something that a butler should never do, but he couldn't help it. When he heard the desperate cries of Edward, he knew that the Colonel had made the biggest mistake of his life. The phone rang again. He had heard it, but he was in the shower unable to reach it. He tried the best he could to make it in time, to take it off the hook in order to stop the terrible noise but he was just a few seconds too late. The phone had rang its entire length, something the poor child never had to endure before while he was in the house. Edward was probably terrified. It was a sad hope that Benjamin had in thinking that Roy would be able to get out of his slump in order to help the child who he knew was begging for his help, but he was wrong. The man didn't even come out of his room after everything was over with. He was called upstairs by the pounding noise of the young Elric hitting the door, most likely doing some dammage to his hand. He was screaming at the man on the other side, scolding him and saying words that Benjamin didn't even realise the kid knew. Yet, the man didn't open even though he was getting the conviction he wanted. Master Mustang was begging for the child to blame him, to not accept his faults as his own, and now that he got him, the man was separated even farther than he was to begin with. Benjamin couldn't deal with it. How could the man throw the kid into so much despair just for his own guilt to be washed away? Benjamin knocked a heavy hand on the door but there was nothing much of a shuffle from the otherside.

"Roy, get your ass out here now," Benjamin commanded, ignoring all formalities. Though he tried to keep in his character at all times in order to be the perfect butler at work, there was some times when even the best butler couldn't keep them. When there wasn't an anwer, Benjamin pounded on the door again. There were mud streaks from where Edward struggled against it with his filthy clothes. The kid needed a bath. He desperately needed a bath but there was always something much more important going on that postponed it. The kid even left a track of mud on his robe from just the walk back. He tightened the belt of his robe around him and knocked once more.

"Roy, if you don't open this door, i am breaking it down," Benjamin scolded him. There was only a slight shuffle but it was going farther away from the door rather than closer to it. Benjamin huffed to himself as he picked up his foot and slammed it into the prane of the door. This wasn't the first time he had to break one of Mustang's doors down. When he had first moved in, it was only a few months after Roy had gotten back from the ishvalan war. With the constant nightmares it became Benjamin's duty to make sure that the man was alright. In worst case scenarios he would have to call Hueghs up in order to stop the man from doing something that he regretted. The door cracked and splintered as it flew open, the door knob breaking off as it was still latched in the lock. Benjamin stormed in and glared at the man pathetically slumped in the corner of the room. Roy's hair was standing on end as if he was running his hands through it and his eyes were all puffy and red. His one side of his face was still slightly discoloured from when Fullmetal hit him the other day. All in all, the man was a disaster.

"You idiot, are you happy now?" Benjamin asked Roy as he stood over him, beating his anger down on him. The man mumbled something under his breath but he chose to ignore it at that point. He gave the man a light kick with his bare foot. "You left him just outside of your door begging for you and you ignored him. Is this what you meant earlier by making things worst because it was a beautiful display of it out there."

"No, Benjamin, I-"

"You wanted the kid to blame you, that's it. You wanted him to call you a bastard, you wanted him to be angry at you so that you could get rid of all this guilt I know you have been saving up. You always have a way of blaming yourself for the worst of every situation. Why can't you just stop it Roy?"

"Ben, I don't know alright? I don't know what I am doing. The kid would have been better off-"

"Things would have been better off if you answered your door!" Benjamin scolded him. Roy didn't flinch at all. He sat there taking the beating like an obedient dog. Ben rolled his eyes at his friend's stubborness. "Elric needs you. He has been by himself for who knows how long and the moment he is able to get help, you neglect to give it to him because of your self loathing. This isn't the time for pity, Roy. The boy needs help."

"I am the one that sent him into this problem to begin with. He would be like this if I didn't send him on that mission. He should realise that," Roy retorted angrilly standing up. He tried to push past Benjamin but he grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the side of his dresser. A spare lamp that they put in the room to replace the last one Edward broke, fell off and crashed to the ground. Benjamin bore his green eyes into Roy's black ones, the mess now fueling his anger even more.

"He doesn't blame you because he doesn't think he should! He needs you right now and that is all that matters. If you are so worried about your god damn conscience, get up off of your ass and fix the problem. Don't wallow about it! Edward is grateful that you are here for him when no one else is. Go to him now and explain yourself!"

"Ben, get off me," Roy scolded him calmly but Benjamin refused to listen. He took his hand full of the man's shirt and flung him around, kicking him out of his bedroom door. Roy stumbled just barely getting his balance before Benjamin was on top of him again.

"Go and explain yourself! The only person he has is you right now and you are doing a shitty job holding that position!"

"Hey, what about you?" Roy asked him. With out thinking, Benjamin socked him in the jaw, not believing in the man's stupidity. Roy faltered backwards grasping his face where Benjamin's fist collided with him. He knew that he had a weak hand only good for catering to others, but he couldn't help himself from at least attempting to knock one of the man's teeth out. In all of his life there had only been two times that Ben had to hit the man who so generously invited him into his home. The first time was when Roy almost did himself in with a razor in the bathroom after a specifically hard series of terrors from the war. Benjamin gave him a good beat down for that. Now, the man was doing one of the most terrible things Benjamin could even imagine, he was destroying a kid's hope.

"_Me?_ I am just the butler, Roy. He doesn't call my name. Now get your ass in gear before I kick start it with my foot," Benjamin scolded him. Roy stared at him blankly as if trying to decide whether to obey him or not. Benjamin glared back into the man's eyes and saw a burning light. The Colonel knew he was right. Nodding to himself, Benjamin stalked down the hallway and towards the staircase. "I will be making breakfast. If you want some I expect you give the kid an appropriate apology. I _will_ be calling Hueghs if you have any more problems. I don't think you would want that."

...

Roy stood outside of Edward's bedroom door. It was shut in his face. He guessed it served him right for shutting the kid out like that. He didn't mean for it to go so far but he just didn't want to see those desperate hurt eyes anymore. He didn't want to see the creature he had turned the boy into. Edward deserved to rely on someone more dependable, someone who didn't throw kids in on tramatic missions. Yet, now when Benjamin forced him to look at the situation, maybe he was the only one who could help the kid out of this. He was there when Edward came stumbling into the bar, scared to death and hurt. He was the one who gave him a place to stay and company. Turning his back on the kid was probably the worst thing he could have possibly done. Benjamin even threatened to call Hueghs. Maes only came into the situation if it was an emergency. Ben would often call him after one of his past night terrors about the war just to get him to calm down. Roy didn't want to throw Hueghs into his problem, not right now, and he knew that a father like that would only make him feel worse.

Roy knocked lightly on the door in front of him but it stayed shut. It served him right. He shouldn't have been thinking of his own guilt when it was Edward who was in need of help. He was selfish, taking his time to tend to his own needs instead of Edward's. When the kid yelled at him, he got exactly what he wanted, conviction, but it was exactly what he didn't need. Hearing the kid's broken voice scream at him through the door in desperation tore him apart. Did he really sink so low that he couldn't even answer a cry of help? He destroyed that kid. Roy knocked on the door another time.

"Fullmetal," he said weakly just to get a stiff gust of wind as an answer. "Fullmetal, please open the door. I-I am sorry. I didn't know... I was stupid, please let me explain." There was absolutely no answer, just a dull silence from the other side. Roy curiously reached down and tried the handle. It slowly slid open and he peered into the room. With the bit of light that was passing through the door, Roy could make out the tiny lump of his subordinate laying on the bed. He was a curled up ball of mud with his face plowed deep into the blankets. He caught the slight shudders from the boy's chest. Roy stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. A dim light from the clouded over morning sun sank through the window as the pitter patter of rain pounded his eardrums. It was a roaring silence. Roy sat down on the edge of the bed next to his subordinate. He had always joked that the boy was small for his age, but now he seemed even tinier and insignifigant than ever. The cries that he heard earlier seemed to ring in his ears. Roy tried to shake them away but they never left. Benjamin was right, he should have done something. He just didn't know what to do. It seemed that everything he did just managed to make the situation worse. Even his face was enough to frighten him. He thought that the kid would have been better without him but now he knew just how terribly wrong he was. Roy watched the kid silently, not knowin if the boy was really asleep or just ignoring him. He took in a deep breath trying to find the words to say but none specifically came to mind. How was he ever going to apologise to him for this? How was he supposed to make ammends for everything he did to him? _You can't. You are just going to have to live with it. _

"Edward-"

"Why does everyone have to leave?" he heard a mumbled voice come out, cutting him off. It was a kind of salvation that Roy was given since he had no clue what he was going to say, but it burned like hell in his ears, hearing the boy say that. The kid turned his head enough so that one golden eye peered up at him. It was wet and still slightly red but it was enough to make Roy feel like he had been socked in the gut. Roy opened his mouth to say something but words still didn't want to form. The golden eye fell down to the comforter in disappointment that Roy didn't have an answer. They sat there for a few moments neither one of them wanting to talk.

Edward was shaking a bit, his clothes still caked with mud. He was probably freezing. The temerature in this room wasn't helping much either. Roy put his hand on the boy's back, wanting to stop it from shaking. It was cold and wet exactly how he thought it would be. However, Edward shook it off of him like he was being burned. He didn't want to be touched. Roy quickly pulled back knowing he was just making things worst for the kid. It seemed to be the only thing he was good at. He messed everything up. He poisoned the kid, he scared him just by looking at him, he forgot how much the boy didn't want to be touched. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. Doing nothing even made it worst. The only thing he managed to do right was simply be there. He couldn't mess up just being there. The kid never wanted to touch him but he always wanted him to be in the room. He remembered the other morning when Edward was terribly sick. The way he held onto his sleeve when he was going to just get the kid a glass of water felt like a knife to his heart. All of those phone calls to the office seemed to make sense now. Edward didn't want to be left alone, not for a moment. The reason why he didn't want to sleep in his own room was because he was basically thrown into his own fortress of solitude. Roy looked down at Edward with his own epiphany. Six months the kid was by himself, he didn't want to force him to be like that any longer. He was here.

"Edward... I don't know what to do, exactly," he started knowing what to say now better than he did before. "I am sorry though, for everything." The golden eye peered back up from the blankets and looked at him, absorbing everything he was trying to tell him. There was a long pausing silence but Roy quickly tried to come up with something more to say to him. Yet before he could another loud ring of the telephone pierced the silence of the house. Roy cursed silently to himself. It was undoubtedly Alphonse. They never did get around to actually calling him back and he was probably worried about everything that was going on that morning. However, Roy wished that he could just leave the phone alone for a good few hours rather than just a few minutes. At the sound, Edward jumped in complete shock and practically tackled Roy out of the bed. They both went tumbling to the floor with a thud, the boy gripping his bed shirt to death in his dirty hands. Edward's eyes were wide in complete fright and his body was frozen stiff like someone had turned him to stone. Roy tried to pry the kid off of him but the boy didn't budge. The boy's ears were completely pinned down against his head to block out the screaming noise of the telephone but it was in vain. The phones were just too darn loud. Edward ducked his head trying his hardest to get away from the noise but unknowing pressing his head harder and harder into Roy's chest, pressing the air out of him. Roy winced slightly with how hard the kid was pressing against him.

"C-Colone-"

"Edward, I am here," Roy said trying to calm the boy down. The phone reached its third ring before it was picked up. Benjamin must have had his hands full down stairs much like Roy was up there. The room was plundged into an unspeakable silence and Edward was left shuddering from the sudden fear in the moment. The adrenaline still flything through his system. Roy saw that his hand had found its way to the kid's head, slowly pressing it against him as if trying to help the kid fight off the sound. They laid on the ground for a few moments neither of them moving. No, Roy didn't want to lock himself in his room again even if it was for his own good. He couldn't leave Edward alone. He wouldn't. Roy felt the kid shiver slightly, the cold mud from both of their clothes mixing together.

"Edward, I am here," Roy repeated again but he didn't feel like he was saying it to Edward anymore, but to himself.


	12. Emergency Room or Bust

_Authour's note: Okay sorry for not updating over the weekend. With my short story final coming up I need to write four more pages by tomorrow evening. I worked hard on it over the weekend but it still looks like I need to put more effort into my story if I want it done on time. Unfortunately for me that is only draft one. Updates on the story might be scattered but after I finish my final I will be writing more I bet. Hope you all like this chapter and thankyou for reviewing!_

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

Chapter 12

Emergency Room or Bust

Roy clumsily walked down the stairs that morning after he took his own shower, a clean pair of comfortable pajamas on and the robe tied tight around his waist. The entire house seemed to be coated in mud and he atleast didn't want to be. Edward had finally calmed down and they went about doing what they did best, pretending like nothing happened. Edward had gone off downstairs with his empty breakfast plate. Roy only knew this because he could see the kid's muddy footprints mark up his white carpet all the way to the kitchen. Roy didn't see when the kid ate his food but it must have been fast.

He yawned tiredly, trying to push the exhausting events of that morning out of his head. He took a shower, he could start a new day on a better, cleaner foot. When he got to the kitchen he could see Benjamin cooking breakfast for the two of them like he promised he would. He was glad after how angry the man was before hand that he even considered cooking for him at all. Roy knew he was out of line and he was glad that Benjamin was atleast there to kick his ass back into it, however, it was slightly scary seeing the calm and reserved butler snap so feircly. Benjamin gave him a stiff smile as he entered and set a plate of bacon and oatmeal on the table for him. Edward was crouched in the seat on the far end of the kitchen, lightly playing with his tail whenever Benjamin's back was turned. It seemed that his own fascination or horror, whichever it was, was still with him. His long filthy golden tail was lightly placed on top of the table where Edward watched it carefully twitch on its own accord. He caught the kid shiver slightly as he poked it, trying to grasp the concept that it was really there and attached to him. Roy wondered what it must feel like to have a new sensing appendage and be able to feel it where ever you go. It must have sent shocks to his system when it was first transmuted to have all those new nerve signals flow through his body. Roy shook his head and grabbed his seat, pulling his steaming plate closer to him. Edward quickly shoved his tail off of the table and pretended that he wasn't ust examining it. Mud streaked the table from where it laid, the kid having not washed properly at all for the three days he had been there, especially not after their huge mud fest outside that morning. The rain still pattered against the roof but it was muted with the scrapes and noises of Benjamin's cooking.

"Who called?" Roy eventually asked, dragging his attention away from his subordinate for a moment. Benjamin flipped a pancake onto a plate with practiced grace and added some bacon to it before shutting off the stove top, joining the group at the table.

"Mr. Alphonse Elric, sir. He was calling about Edward, quite worried when we didn't really answer the previous two times," the man answered, returning to his usual profession. However, though he wasn't cursing and yelling at Roy anymore, his full business attitude was slightly faulted with a hidden but stiff tone in his voice. The man was obviously still upset. Edward's head snapped up when he heard it was his little brother, making his fear of telephones seem to fade away into a distant dream, like it never happened.

"Alphonse? What did he say? Where is he?" Edward interrogated the poor butler, leaning over the table for the answers. Benjamin chuckled slightly as he caught sight of Edward's tail waving happily behind him. A soft rolling went through the kid, barely audible, but they were still able to recognise it as purring. Roy had to look away for a moment, holding in a slight chuckle. When outside of the traumatizing and fearful moments of Edward's paranoia and Roy's mistakes, seeing the kid this way was kind of funny. He looked like a playful kitten wanting to jump high for the toy that some one was waving around. It kind of gave him hope that things weren't as bad as he thought.

"Well, he wanted to tell you that he is getting on his last train to come here. He expects to arrive at eight this afternoon. He's really worried about you," Benjamin told him. Edward slumped down in his seat with a huge smile plastered on his face. His ears were twitching slightly and his tail and purring had stopped. Something was wrong. Roy watched the boy for a moment but he seemed to be frozen in his spot, thinking of what to do. Did he not want Alphonse to come? But it was obvious he wanted to see him again. Roy took a small bite of his oatmeal as he watched the young alchemist. One question that he was asking himself was would Alphonse be able to recognise Edward? With all of the mud covering the kid he was barely seen as the same bright coloured teenager from before. His hair was matted almost to a brick, and discoloured from its normal golden shine to a nasty light brown. Roy didn't want to comment on the kid's stench but luckily it seemed both Benjamin and himself went slightly nose blind. Who knew how long it was since Edward actually had a real bath?

"Edward," Roy said, startling the kid out of his stupour. The kid nearly jumped out of his seat with the studden diversion. Roy sighed to himself as he spun his oatmeal around in his bowl for a moment. "Edward, if Alphonse is coming you should probably take a bath or something to get all of that dirt off of you." For some reason the kid froze, his face going pale. His tail curled up slight getting closer to the boy's body. Roy raised his eyebrow slightly as he looked the kid over.

"I-I don't need a sh-shower," the kid said quickly, a bit slurred from lack of effort.

"Edward, you needed a bath for the past few days. I can barely tell what race you are," Roy commented. Benjamin gave him a glare for his rudeness but the man tried to ignore it. Edward quickly got up out of his chair which was now coated in a fine layer of dirt from the garden outside.

"I-I took one th-the other day. I don't need another, bastard," he retorted siffly, but there was a slight tremor to his voice as if he was begging him instead.

"You barely took a shower. You were still covered in dirt when you came down." The kid frowned terribly. Roy didn't know what was wrong with this kid it was just a bath wasn't it?

"Sir Elric, your injured foot shouldn't be kept in such conditions if you don't want it to become worse. We need to get you cleaned up and then rebandage it alright? I don't want you to have to go to the hospital because your foot got infected," Benjamin told him, slightly worried. Roy couldn't believe it but the kid turned even paler. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates, looking around as his body shifted back and forth, weighing his options. In the end the kid relaxed slightly and stiffly nodded his head. Roy let out his own breath of air glad that the boy wasn't about to bolt again. Edward slowly marched out of the kitchen like he was on death row, leaving a muddy trail of footsteps behind him. His automail foot making slight tinks on the tile floor of the kitchen. Roy sighed to himself as he turned back to where Benjamin was finishing up his own breakfast. He was already dressed in his fine uniform, ready for work.

"Great," Benjamin smiled picking up his now finished plate and heading over to the sink. He turned it on and started to rinse and wash his own plate as well as Edward's. The sound of rain on the roof was drowned out by the roar of the water. "I will get some linens and clothes set out and throw in a load of wash before I have to go to work. Roy, someone is going to need to pick up the young Elric from the train station. I got work today."

"Don't think you are the only one with work," he muttered taking a spoonful of oatmeal and shovelling it into his mouth.

"Roy, don't go to work, not now," Benjamin scolded him lightly. Roy rolled his eyes as he picked up his plate and deposited it into the sink, grabbing his own sponge and starting to clean his own plate. Benjamin was staring him down the entire time as if he expected him to be so low as to ditch the kid again.

"Ben, I am not leaving the house. I will just be in contact with my team over Kain's field phone. Havoc and I planned this drug bust yesterday when he was over," Roy muttered. Benjamin seemed to relax a bit and set his dishes on the drying wrack for later.

"Good to hear," he said curtly. "But who is going to pick up Mr. Elric?"Roy let out a heavy breath as he finished washing his plate and set it down along side Benjamin's.

"I will ask one of my subordinates to do it when I call. I don't need all of them on that mission," he replied.

"Sir, when were you supposed to call?"

"0900. I got time, Ben," Roy told him.

"Roy, i think you better make that call now." Roy looked up at the clock and cursed to himself. it was 9:30, he was already half an hour late. He usually woke up a lot earlier than that and the events with Edward must have been longer than he thought. Roy rushed upstairs and into his room, ignoring the broken door and the mud trail that Edward left behind. A phone was set up on his writing desk along with all of his papers. Roy quickly yanked the phone off of the reciver and was about to dial when he paused. There was the light hum of running water in Edward's room. Roy shook his head and reached down to the rotary. _The kid will be fine._ But he stopped again. Growling to himself, he yanked the phone out of the wall and piled all of his papers up in a disorganised bundle. He dragged everything out of his beaten in door and into the dark room of his subordinate. The noise of the shower running was louder in here than it was in his room but the door between them muffled it enough to not be a distraction. Roy dropped all of his stuff onto the desk. He plugged the phone into the empty outlet and dialed the number to Fuery's extension.

_"h-hello sir?"_ the young sergent's voice came over the phone. "_You're late-"_

"Yes, Kain, I know. Where are you now?" Roy asked the kid.

_"Outside getting ready to leave, sir. We were awaiting your orders of deployment but-"_

"I got hung up on a few things Fuery. Who's all there?" He asked. There was a slight pause as the boy must have been counting heads.

_"Riza, Jean, Heymans, Maes, and Vato. We are all here, sir,"_ Kain replied. Roy nodded his head even though the young Sergeant couldn't see him.

"Great. Tell Havoc he has to pick Alphonse up at the train station at six."

_"Yessir, but I don't think he's going to like it,"_ Fuery answered.

"He doesn't have to like it Kain he just has to do it. I can't and Benjamin has work," Roy huffed under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could already tell that this was going to be a long day. The phone was set down with a thumping clatter as fuery went off to tell Jean the bad news personally. Roy heard angry shouts come from the other end of the line and he knew he was in trouble with the second lieutenant. The phone on the other end was gruffly picked up and he heard some struggling from the other side as Fuery must have been fighting him for it back.

"_WHAT! Colonel! No! I am not doing this! Get one of the others to do it! I am going on this bust and I will help! You said that you weren't going to do this to me!"_ Jean ranted. he was obviously hurt that he wouldn't be able to help on the mission but personally, Roy had other plans for the lieutenant that went beyond picking up Elric from the train station. Though it wasn't for a few hours, busts usually went on until the late hours of the evenings. He didn't want Havoc to get mixed up in his work before he could pick Alphonse up. It really was for the better that the man stayed behind.

"Lieutenant, you are too emotionally involved in this. I need to ask you to sit this one out. You told everyone else the actual target and mission details right?" Roy asked him. There has a growl from the other end that scratched through the static of the field phone.

_"Colonel, everyone else knows what the drug bust really is for but they are just as involved as I-"_

"The difference is, Jean, they don't show it. I will have Maes keep tabs with me for the mission and if I hear one breath that you are there, expect to be court martialed. That isn't an empty promise," Roy ordered. There was a long pause from the other end before Havoc said anything. Though he always gave the threat of being court martialed, they knew that he was never serious about it. However, they knew what being a disobedient soldier could do to the fate of the mission. When he gave the court martial threat, they knew that they should never fight against it.

_"Fine,"_ came the usual huffy answer he always got. Roy smiled slightly, glad that he won the argument without too much of a hassle. _"When do you want me to pick him up?"_

"1800 is when his train is due at the station. I expect you to be pulling up to my house at 1900 sharp," Roy said listing the military times, making it feel like a real mission for the lieutenant. It didn't really work as he heard the phone clatter around as he must have thrown it to Fuery, who had terribly clumsy hands in which Roy didn't understand how he could be so skilled with fine technology.

_"S-sir, are we ready?"_ Kain asked. Roy pulled out some of his files and notebooks on the table and got a pen ready to jot down anything they observed.

"Right, keep me on the line and head out," he ordered. He heard Fuery call the order out to everyone. there was a muffled curse from Havoc that Roy chose to ignore and then the slamming of car doors with the start of an engine. The phone was tossed around a bit, but Roy kept his end close to him, wanting to catch any detail that might slip by. He absolutely needed to know what was going on that mission. With a bit of clatter, the line was handed to someone else and Maes picked up the end.

_"So, Roy, Ben told me-"_

"Shut up, Maes. We're on a mission," Roy huffed, hoping to shut the man up before he began. He got everything settled down, he didn't want to dive back into his own problems of that morning.

_"We're on a mission you mean. You are at home probably in your pajamas,"_ Maes commented. Roy looked down and self consciously tighted the belt on his robe_. "So, I am guessing Edward is the reason you can't come with us?"_

"Yeah," Roy admitted. They both sighed at the same time. Roy rubbed his temple as he waited for them to get to their bust location. Traffic must have been dying down by that point but one could never know how long it would take to get across the city. "Listen, Maes, you are the commanding officer of this group now but keep tabs with the mission details alright? Every single thing you find, tell me. I need to know."

_"Don't worry Roy, got you covered. This line isn't going to close anytime soon,"_ Maes reassured him. _"We really drug busting a hospital Roy? Couldn't you have found a full search warrant instead?"_

"The military is in on this and a search warrant would have tipped them off. Drug searches are always approved speedily because they don't want the culprits to get away. Something big is going on and I don't want Edward to be on the wrong end of it," Roy told him. There was a pause from the other end of the line.

"_Is Edward on the wrong end of it? Havoc told me-"_

"Yes."

...

"Roy, you're not going to believe this, but they bugged out," Maes sighed into the phone as he and Mustang's group stepped around the abandoned facility. It took only a few moments to enter the hospital with the search papers and find the basement. A few of the nurses had screamed in fright but Fuery, being the nice boy he was, helped calm them down and reassure that everything was alright. That took more than a few moments. They had found the stairwell door easily. The window was smashed out of it and covered up with cardboard so that the patients wouldn't cut themselves on it. He asked Roy about it but he had no clue what went on but there was a high bet that was Edward's doing. Maes was kind of curios as to what really happened to the kid but as he looked around the empty lower levels of the basement he had a pretty good hunch as to what it was, and he didn't like it. They had searched all sub levels of the hospital, finding two floors that looked like normal psyc wards and the bottom few as chemical storage and research facilities that were now burnt out as someone attempted to cover evidence. Large piles of charred substances laid in nearly everyroom and random papers were scattered across the floor, not making it to their designated piles. They quickly searched every room, making sure that there was no one left. Heymans said that the fires were over a few hours old meaning it was unlikely the people were still in the same city district.

There was a loud groan from the other end of Fuery's field telephone and he heard Mustang curse to the heavens. Maes shook his head and sighed to himself as he opened another room, the seargent major following close at his heels so the telephone wouldn't catch. The room was quite different from the rest of the rooms. The others were set up like labs with tables and cabinets or even doctors offices. This one was wide, cement, and open. Maes took a curious step into it. There didn't seem to be any piles of burnt material, he thought it might have just been a spare room but he had a deep dark feeling it wasn't.

"Lieutenant Colonel, w-what's that over there?" Kain asked trying to make his way over to the center of the room. The phone system was strapped around his shoulders and he almost yanked the phone out of his hand. Maes held him back by the shirt collar and handed the young boy his end of the phone to hold onto. He carefully took a few careful steps towards where Fuery was pointing. It was a large discoloration in the middle of the room. There was a large metal staple protruding out of the ground in the center of the mess. Maes bend over and crouched down to the mess. The place was so silent he could hear Roy's demanding and questioning voice from the other end of the line. He sounded desperate for answers but Maes felt that he wouldn't like them one bit. He reached down with one of his bare hands and rubbed one of his fingers against the discoloured floor. Some of whatever soaked it previously crumbled off into his hand. It was dark red and metallic... blood.

"Dear god," he muttered to himself as he stood up. Fuery rushed over to him, rather curious as to what it was.

"Sir, what-"

"Blood. Take a sample," Maes ordered, reaching into one of his pockets and handing the kid a small evidence back that they each were carrying. Kain nodded and got right to work. Maes pulled out his small camera and snapped a few pictures of the wide room. There were some scratches on the floor where the blood was pooled as if something was struggling to get away. The staple bolted strangely into the middle of the floor was much the same way. Maes walked over to it and snapped a picture. Whatever made the pool of blood obviously wasn't going to stay there on its own desire.

"Alright Sergeant, do you have the sample?" he asked, but the kid wasn't paying any attention to him at all. He was staring at the mess with a rather perplexed expression. Kain quickly zipped the little bag of dried blood and set it in his satchel before quickly running over to the far end of the room. "What are you doing?" Maes asked but the kid was already climbing up on one of the outcropping cement slaps that looked strangely like bleachers. He looked down at the dried pools of blood and studied them for a bit. Maes caught the kid's sudden realization and how quickly Kain paled before he nearly collapsed. Maes rushed over to him, hoping that the boy wouldn't fall flat on his face. The kid looked sick as if he was going to throw up, he was shaking so hard. He knew that the scene was bad. A boy as young as Kain was, though a great deal older than Edward, shouldn't see things like this. He remembered the first time he went on the battlefield he couldn't keep his stomach where it was supposed to be.

"Hey, keep it together. Don't want to contaminate the-" Maes started lightly trying to sooth the boy but the kid jabbed a finger down at the mess on the floor. He was drawing in deep and meaningful breaths to try and hold his breakfast down. Maes followed his finger with his eyes.

"I-It's... I-It's," Kain stammered but Maes slowly pushed his hand back down to his side, telling him that he saw it as well. From that position it was all clear. Though the chalk must have been erased multiple times, the light from the florecent over hangs had burned a permanent difference into the ground, fading the cement floor. It was a transmutation circle. Though the specific symbols weren't able to be made out, probably from being changed so many times, the circle itself was prominent. His eyes refusing to move from the sudden epiphany, Maes reached down blindly for his camera and snapped a shaky picture of the circle. He quickly grabbed for the phone that was still clamped tightly in Fuery's hand.

"Roy, it's an alchemy research lab. There's a transmutation circle, o-or what's left of one on the floor and... blood everywhere. It looks like they... um... tied their victims down and then... transmuted them. Probably animals for chimera experiments but..."

_"Thanks, Maes,"_ the stiff voice of his friend came out. It was tight and sounded as if it was about to choke but he seemed to keep it down. Maes nodded and grabbed a hold of Fuery's jacket.

"Right, lets go check another room," he told the boy softly. The kid nodded and took the phone out of his hand as they quickly but solemnly exited the room, making a mental note never to go back there again.

...

Riza walked into one of the opened rooms to begin the evidence search. It looked to be a Kennel of some sorts. Metal cages lined the walls and there was a horrible stench of urine and ammonia coating the place. Riza nearly choked on it as she covered her nose with her sleeve. The doors of every cage were flung open and ajar showing their empty bellies. There was a huge examination table in the center of the room, metal and matching the rest of the interior. Worn belts and leather strapps hung from it, sending a haunting chill up her spine. She snapped a couple pictures of the room. With the way they were finding things they might be able to fill ten albums with the photos they collected. That was something she wished she never had to do. With all of the different things that they've seen so far they could start to piece together what happened in the bottom of the hospital and there was definitely something that Roy wasn't telling them. They already knew that this was linked to Edward's disappearance, Havoc told them that much, but to think that Edward was in a place such as this was unbearable. What happened to him?

Riza walked farther into the room and pulled out some drawers that were underneath the examination table. They were full of smashed syringes and pipettes, probably purposely broken. She snapped a picture of that and then closed the drawer again. It was a science lab. Chimeras seemed the only dirrection this investigation was going. The kennels in there were probably used to hold the creatures and experiments. She didn't know exactly what they were testing for, a chimera hybrid, a talking intellectual creature, or something else, but she didn't like it, not one bit. The Elrics had investigated Tucker's biological alchemy before and maybe that was what Edward tried to look into here, but it didn't seem right for the kid to go as far as this. To also be doing this for six months without even contacting his brother also was a bit sketchy in itself.

Riza sighed as he stood up, trying to block the stench out of her nose. What did this entire thing have to do with Edward? There was a pile of burnt papers and evidence in the corner of the room. Most of the fires in the other rooms were controlled in some sort of way in order not to set off the fire alarms but this one seemed a little more out of control. It was as if the scientists or whoever ran this joint were rushing through their work a little too quickly. that was great for her and their investigation team because it meant that they didn't take care to make sure everything was fully scorched. The walls were tinted with the smoke and some of the paint seemed to have burnt off where the flames caught. Instead of being doused, this fire seemed to have choked itself out instead. Riza curiously started to pick through it. They were going to have a long night searching through every single one of the piles in all the rooms. The top of the pile consisted of a full foot of ash, having been effectively burnt to a crisp. Ignoring the soot stains that were covering her uniform, Riza dusted the pile off until she found the bottom few layers where the fire didn't reach all the way. It seemed to be a ball of cloth of some sort. She reached in and pulled out a bunch, not caring which way the dust scattered to the floor. As she straightened whatever it was out for examination, her mind seemed to freeze up as she clenched the fabric tight in her hands. she felt her stomach give way as she caught the navy blue of a military uniform.

...

Heymans knew it wasn't any use but he opened the drawers of the filing cabinets anyways. They were already emptied probably to be burned but he just had to make sure. He was in one of the examination rooms. It was built much like what a doctor's office would look like or a veterinary clinic. There was a diagnostics table in the middle with medicine cabinets on either wall. Some scaling machines and other tools which were too big to bugg out with were left behind, still plugged into their outlets and the lights still running. Vato was on his own search through the pile of burnt files. The papers were crumbled up individually before they were thrown onto the fire, effectively wasting all possible chances of recovery, but Vato none the less tried to get something out of the piles of ash.

"Find anything yet Falman?" Breda called out as he walked over towards the medicine cabinets and opened them up, finding them to be in the same state as the filing cabinets.

"Nothing yet," the man sighed, sifting through the dust.

"Try digging to the bottom. Maybe the ash coated the bottom papers and smothered the fire before it got to the rest," he replied, opening another empty cabinet. Vato gave a muffled reply and dug his hands deeper into the pile. It was a rather large pile of ash, having had so much paper go into it from the cabinets. Vato practically had his elbows burried in soot to reach the bottom of it. A sudden victorious cry was given out and Heymans turned around to see Vato holding a rather burnt file. He hurried on over to see what it was.

Papers in the bottom fire were layered ontop of eachother, only the top few layers having been scorched to dust. Whoever started the fire probably started to toss the files together before correcting their technique and crumbling the papers. The bottom layers, though being slightly discoloured and burnt around the edges, were legible enough to keep. The file that Vato was holding seemed to be a profile of some sort. On the top cover it read Kennel 10, Experiment 36, specimens 909 and 455, Serpentes Canine.

"Snake Dog," Vato noted as he flipped the packet open. Heymans rolled his eyes, knowing that Falman was the book worm who probably knew every species latin name off the top of his head. However, they now officially knew that this place was infact, a chimera lab. They had a hunch but Heymans wanted to prove it before going on with it, even though it was pretty obvious what was going on here. Vato shrugged to himself after a quick skim of the file and placed the papers gently on the ground before starting to sift through the pile once more.

"I just don't understand why they would try to cover up a chimera lab. Everyone knows that the government experiments in biological alchemy," Heymans said as Vato handed him another file. He opened it up to see Lion Goats. How in the world the scientists managed to get a lion into the hospital without anyone noticing, he couldn't even begin to comprehend. He set the file down next to the other one. "I mean, Tucker was a State Alchemist who got his liscense because he made a chimera."

"Well," Vato puffed as he dug around the pile of ash, "They did decommission labratory number five."

"It could be that they were embarrassed by the incident with Tucker and attempted to cover up their research but this facility seems too old to have been only just under a year old," Heymans said. Vato looked up from his pile of soot and studied the walls for a few moments.

"Judging by the walls and structural soundness, I would have to gues this was made maybe ten years ago with the use of external wiring up at the cieling. However, this hospital was made in the early 1800's meaning that it could date older. This was originally made as a psychiatric ward but it shut down due to lack of funding, making the Hospital the only working facility in the building. The entire place was reconstructed before the Ishvalan Civil war to apply the new technological advancements and to update the walling and the floors as had been done several times in the past but the government started to fund the project then and the psycward was restored meaning that this was probably put into use as a research facility around that time," the man noted. Heymans looked up at the walls and noticed the older electrical systems. That man was practically like a walking encyclopedia, he didn't know how he did it. Vato could probably list the entire phone book off the top of his head if he wanted to. But, even though it was amazing, everyone on the team had to admit that Falman could be a little too knowledgeable for his well being. Vato picked up another file, gave it a quick look and dropped it back down to the others before digging back into the ash. Heymans sighed as he rolled up his sleeves and started to dig around in the pile as well.

"It could also be because this was made outside of the governments knowledge and therefore doesn't have the right authourization," he noted as his hands came over a thin file. He pulled it out, saw the words Felis Sapien, and tossed it onto the pile to read later. "but we know that's false since the government is paying for them to work."

"Heymans-"

"So, that means that the reason that the government doesn't want this public knowledge is because they are doing something that is probably inhumane, or frowned upon. Probably immoral is my guess, to not only the extreme single interest groups but also to anyone else. It could also be breaking one of their own laws, making it look bad if the public saw it," he said, thinking out loud. He looked up to see Vato not digging around in the dirt like he was, but staring down at the file that he just tossed down. The man looked pale as he leaned over and picked it up, his dirty hands smudging the folder even more. Heymans curiously leaned over his shoulder.

"Kennel # 6, Experiment 203, subject 15 and specimen 106, Felis Sapien," Heymans read out loud.

"Feline Human," Vato translated. Heymans felt his heart stop as he stared at the slightly scorched words.

"I guess we found the reason," he muttered under he breath. Vato didn't say anything but simply nodded. It was sick, human experimentation, but to know that the government was doing it right under their noses was even worse. Breda wanted to know what the government was planning to do with the experiments but with Ishvalan war over and in the stage of reconstruction, it seemed that all of these would be useless. Another thought tugged at his subconscious lightly. What did Edward have to do with this? Supposedly to the Colonel, the big guy was the person who found out the information that they needed for their fake drug bust along with some of Havoc's research, but Heymans had a hunch that was only for a deeper find. However, he was afraid to find out how far the kid was in on this investigation.

The file was thin, smaller than most of the others they picked up. Vato slowly opened it. The entire thing looked to be hand written, being a log of dates, procedures, and short diagnostics of the experiment.

"P-Pages are missing," the man noted pointing towards the center of the vanilla folder. It was creased, obviously worn down by a lot more paper than was just there. Breda took it out of his hands to look at it more closely. The dates were recent, only a few months old. The first line of the log said _subject captured 28/09/1914._

"Falman, what day did Edward go on that mission?" Breda asked.

"If I remember cor-rectly, lieutenant, it was... the same date," Vato muttered slowly. Breda nodded his head, the words bouncing around in his head with thunderous melody.

"Unfortunately, you always remember correctly," he said, having wished it all a coincidence. He flipped through the file nervously. All of the dates had small notes, vaguely detailing the event that went on. From that information, Heymans could only guess what really happened to the subject. The final date was labeled _03/05/1915 subject mental evaluation requested._ That was the date that Roy found Fullmetal again. "Mental evaluation?" Heymans muttered under his breath.

"Yes, also known as a psychological examination. They are used to test the mental stableness and well being of a person probably traumatised or suffering from a brain illness or mood disorder varying from-"

"Vato, please shut up," he ordered and the man quickly shut his mouth. Heymans didn't want to hear of all the things that could have went wrong if this really was Edward they were talking about. There might have been a slim possibility that it was different, maybe the dates just so happened to match up. There was a knock on the door as Riza came walking into the room. Heymans looked up and his body froze as he realized how wrong he was to bet on that slim possibility of coincidence.

"Look what I found," the Lieutenant's stiff voice shook out. In her hands she held a long piece of red fabric; Edward's coat.

...


	13. Fresh Start

_Authour's note: Sorry guys haven't been able to write and I still won't be able to write because I got projects and terms coming up. However guess what? In a few weeks Break is coming so I might get a chance to write then! And when I have all day free that means I will have a lot more time to write! So wait a few weeks and then I will be busting out chapters with these breaks. _

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

Chapter 13

Fresh Start

Edward stared at the shower and its haunting presence in the small guest bathroom. He felt himself twitch slightly as he stared it in the faucet daring it to turn on. He didn't want to be beaten by a shower, but the idea of what came out of it stopped him from moving forward. He didn't want to get wet. He didn't want to feel the cold, soaking, suffocating water on him. It was something he couldn't stand. It was unnatural to him. The more he thought about it the more he could feel the burning pressure of the hose raining down on him. He gingerly took a few steps back from the shower as a flash of the empty cement room came back into his mind. All of those haunting faces holding him down and spraying him with the merciless water, drowning him just until he was just out of breath. It was all to teach him a lesson, but for what? Edward looked back at the bathroom door subconsciously. Did he do something wrong? Was that why Roy was having him take a bath? He shook his head at the dumb idea as he caught sight of his nasty footprints leading their way into the bathroom. He was filthy. Normal people take baths to get clean, not as punishment. If he took a shower he would be clean, Edward thought as he took a step closer. _And you wouldn't have to risk going to the hospital either._ A shiver ran up his spine as he thought about it. His foot was still terribly cut up and the mud and dirt wasn't going to help it at all. If he didn't get clean he could risk an infection like Benjamin said. He couldn't picture going back to the hospital. If not the same one, any hospital. The people looming over him with needles, being strapped down to gurneys, sedated, diagnosed. The Doc would find him if he went there, Jackson too. Just thinking of the man made Edward skip over to the tub, his tail between his bare legs and his ears flat. No, he needed to take a shower.

Edward shakily reached for the faucet, his automail arm rattling around, creaky from its lack of oiling. Just as he felt the pressure of the knob underneath his hand he pulled back like he touched fire. He couldn't do it. He would just have to tell Mustang he couldn't do it. _You're so pathetic! You can't rely on him forever like a child! Grow up!_ Edward looked longingly at the door again. Mustang took him in and helped him. He shouldn't be putting so much weight on him. Equivalent exchane right?

"Tch, bastard, getting the upper end even now," he casually mumbled, trying to make things sound a little better, but failing. He glanced back at the door once more but shook his head. No, he wasn't going to go crying to the Colonel. He could to this... or at least try. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _Alright, one step at a time._ Edward slowly lifted his dirty automail foot and placed it in the tub. It was slick but he managed to keep his balance well enough to pull his other foot in without falling down. The smooth surface was cool to the touch and felt terrible underneath his cut up foot. He shifted his weight around slightly seeing if that would help but it didn't. He sighed to himself, giving up on that distraction, and turned towards the shower faucet. It loomed overhead like a terrible omen. He felt himself trembling from the mere sight of it. He tried to force himself to calm down but he couldn't, he was shaking so terribly. Edward gingerly reach out and touched the cool knob with his left hand. _You can do this just turn it on._ As much as he tried to pump himself up for it, the only thing that Edward could do was touch it and stare. He remembered the last shower he attempted to take. He didn't last more than five seconds. It was pure luck that he managed to trip over the faucet on his scurry to get out, shutting off the water on accident or else he didn't know how long he would have been there for. Edward took a deep breath in and closed his eyes again. Focusing all of his energy, he forced his hand to turn the knob.

A cold, freezing jet of water sprayed out of the shower head and hit him straight in the chest. Edward felt his breath get knocked out of him and hitch in his throat as he scrambled backwards trying to get out of the stream, letting go of his grip on the knob. It was sucking the heat out of him like a sponge and drenching him through the skin. No he couldn't take it. It dripped down him, slowly coating his entire being in the wet water, choking his skin till all the felt was the slick freezing shower. Edward felt his back press against something solid and smooth. It was a wall. It felt too familiar, being cornered, sprayed. Edward shifted his weight trying to run and get out of the terrible cement room but his automail foot had no traction on the wet floors and he slipped. His arm flung up and tried to grab a hold of something but the wall was bare, letting him fall to the ground. The water continued to beat down on him though he was down and out, locked in the small space. He could feel the walls on either side of him like a cage. He was trapped. The water pounded his curled up body and dripped down over him, seeming to freeze time with its cold unrelenting force. It would stop soon. It would have to stop like it always did. Yet, Edward begged that it would stop now. His breath hitched with every drop that pounded his face. He ran away, this was his punishment, but Edward wished that the men would just turn off the god damn hose. He was sorry. He should never have run away. He should have just stayed. Edward shivered, his mind losing all other power over his limbs as the water berated them. It was cold, and he couldn't seem to find any warmth at all.

...

Roy tapped his pen angrily against the desk as he listened to the blurred conversation on the other line of the phone. The scientists bugged out. He was so close to catching those bastards and they bugged out. Now he had to start from scratch all over again. Roy huffed a breath of air out as he ran through the facts in his head. The government was funding the program, definitely a human chimera experimentation as proven by Edward, and they weren't just some third rate scientists, these guys were thorough, covering evidence and predicting their moves. They must have anticipated that when Edward escaped that someone would be on their tails so they fled. But where? Roy growled to himself. Suddenly a loud piercing whistle rang through his head. He looked up slightly startled. It was the old shower faucet ringing. Roy looked over at the door of the bathroom. Was Edward still in there? He knew that the boy was filthy, actually beyond filthy, but it shouldn't take him so long to get clean. Roy tiredly glanced at the clock on his desk and nearly choked. It was twelve thirty, three hours since he started. He heard of long showers but No one on earth could take that long of a shower even if they wanted it. Just think of his water bill! Roy curiously got up and walked over to the closed bathroom door and knocked on it a few times.

"Edward?" he called through the closed wood. There was no reply other than the screaming of the shower. Roy slowly reached down and opened the door. Dirty bandages from the kid's foot were scattered on the floor, the kid being wise enough to take them off. A foot trail of mud lead over to the bath tub, passing a pile of filthy pajamas that seemed to have just been dropped where they were taken off. Roy found it weird that the foot prints seemed to have paced for a while, creating a huge mass of mud around the edge of the tub. The water was still running behind the partially closed curtain but other than that the bathroom seemed to be abandoned. Maybe the kid just didn't turn off the water? Roy knew that wasn't the answer since he didn't see him leave and a pile of fresh clothes were still set on the counter. Sudden fear lit up in him. What if the kid fell and he didn't hear? His automail foot would have given him terrible traction on the slippery floor. People get hurt in the showers all of the time, they fall and break their arms or legs or something. Ignoring the fact that there was a high chance that the kid was naked, Roy worriedly opened the curtain of the shower.

In the farthest corner of the shower, he found Edward curled up in a pathetic ball. The water was raining down on him, splashing him with no mercy, yet the kid wasn't moving. He was blankly staring out into nothingness, his mismatched hands wrapped around his shoulders trying to grab onto something. As soon as he saw him, Roy quickly turned the water off. It wasn't even turned on far enough to be luke warm. It was freezing.

"Edward," Roy said hurriedly as he bent down, trying to see if the kid hurt himself. "Edward are you alright?" The kid didn't blink. The dirt and mud that was covering him now was liquified, streaming the tub in a nasty brown paste. It actually seemed to make the boy dirtier, smearing the mud around rather than cleaner. He caught strange streaks of mud down the walls of the shower where it looked like he slid down it.

"Edward-" Roy begged him to answer. The kid's ears twitched slightly but that was about all he got as a reply. Roy cursed to himself lightly as he reached down into the tub and grabbed the kid's shoulders, lifting him up into a sitting position. He didn't look to be hurt, not in the least bit, just shocked beyond retreival. He wasn't responding and that was something Roy couldn't deal with. Roy quickly wrapped his arms around the boys chest and heaved him out of the tub, onto the muddy floor of the bathroom. The boy was limp, only his arms tight around his shoulders, trying to keep in imaginary warmth. He could feel how cold the boy was through his robe and it was sickening. Roy grabbed a few towels off of the racks and wrapped the undecent boy up, trying to not only dry the cold water off of him, but keep him warm. He cursed to himself over and over again. Why did he force the kid to take a shower? It was for his health, yes, and he really needed one but...Why did this have to happen? What did happen? The kid never seemed to want to step foot near the shower to begin with, he should have taken that as a sign. Now when he thought about it, the kid couldn't stand anything wet. He froze up when he found out it was raining. Roy remembered the first morning the other morning when he found Edward hiding for cover under his bed. Roy was taking a shower then. The sound of water must have frightened him. The kid was afraid of running water. Roy just threw the boy into his fear head first. Edward was staring blankly at the cieling, his golden eyes were dull and motionless.

"Edward," Roy said again. The kid's ear twitched in another response. At least he was hearing him. He leaned over the kid and stared him straight in the unseeing eyes. The boy was gone. What did he do? The kid was a disaster, he was pathetic and he was the one who put him there. Roy felt his breath hitch in his throat. He didn't know what to do. How was he going to snap that kid out of this? It never happened before and frankly, Roy was afraid. But, he remembered that morning and he knew that he couldn't just shut himself out again. Roy looked down at Edward, the barely covered boy resting against him, lost in his subconscious. He felt his eyes grow slightly wet as he tried and failed to wrack his brain for a possible sollution. "Come on kid, I am here just... D-Don't leave me like this," Roy started to rambled on trying to think of anything to bring the boy back to reality. Suddenly he felt a light tug on the towels. His head jerked up and he saw the boy's hand reach up out of his cucoon of bath towels and lightly rub the fabric between his fingers. A sudden realization seemed to hit his eyes but they were still lost beyond beleif to the void. Roy watched him for a while hoping that he would do something else or talk to him but he didn't. The kid just gently felt the towel as if trying to accept that it was there.

"E-Edward-" The kid's eyes snapped up to his at the sound of his voice. They were wide and vacant but they connected. Roy felt a single shot of pain go through him as he looked into them. That was the same look he found the kid in after his transmutation. It was dead and lost all hope of having anything ever again. He didn't think signing the kid up for the military would help knock that look off his face this time around, yet slowly, the longer they stared, the kid seemed to be coming back around to his senses as if snapping out of a trance. After a prolonged moment, Edward's eyes dropped back down and he started to finger the towel again, not saying a word. Roy lifted the kid up slowly into a sitting position, Edward's back resting for support against his chest. The kid seemed to have lost all amounts of large motor skills.

"Edward, are you afraid of the shower?" Roy asked quietly, already knowing the answer, but he wanted to try anything to get the kid talking again. There was a long pause making him almost think the boy wasn't going to answer but then the kid gave an ever so slight nod. His eyes were still wide in shock and his fingers still rubbed the towel lightly as if they couldn't stop.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Roy questioned again, phrasing it so the kid would have to answer but Edward didn't say a word. Roy could feel the kid shivering slightly, slipping back down into his terror induced trance which he just awoken from. He sighed, reaching into the cabinets and pulling out some more fluffy towels to replace the wet and cold ones that were wrapped around the bare boy. The kid at first didn't want to let go of the old ones but took the new ones gratefully after some pestering, curling tightly into their warmth as soon as the old ones were removed. Roy caught a glimpse of the boy's automail before it was covered up again. It was soaking wet and definitely had seen better days. It probably hasn't been properly oiled in a while and now that he listened to it, the things had a slight creak as they moved. They would need to dry those off before any more damage befell them. It might be better to just take them off. Roy shook his head lightly as Edward rested against him, his breaths heavy and quick, hitching in his throat.

"Calm down, Edward, you are out of the water. We will just have to find another way through this," Roy lightly told him. Edward quickly shook his head, his eyes widening and his mouth trembling. Roy looked down at him in surprise. The kid looked absolutely terrified as his eyes started to wetten ever so slightly.

"_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I-I won't d-do it ag-ain,"_ the kid repeated so quietly he had to strain to listen. "_Do-Don't take me b-back. I-I'm s-s-sorry."_ Roy nearly choked as he heard the kid talk. It was the first thing that the kid said since he found him and he was begging him not to punish him. Roy suddenly remembered their discussion from the kitchen. The kid's foot was cut up so terribly that an infection from the mud was a fear that they all had. The only thing that drove the kid to take the shower in the first place was the idea of bein sent back to the hospital. Was he afraid that Roy would send him back just because he wasn't able to clean himself? What did those bastards do to him? He was about to reach out an set his hand on the kid's shoulder but stopped as he remembered that Edward didn't like being grabbed or touched. He curled his outstretched hand into a fist and bit his lip trying to stop himself from crying out in fustration.

"Edward," he calmly said after taking a few moments to compose himself. The muttering of the boy stopped and after a few seconds Edward tilted his head up to look at Roy who was behind him. Guilt and shame was spread on his face. His eyes still wide in shock and tears were streaked down his already soaking wet face. He was still trembling terribly, but Roy couldn't tell if it was from fear or from the cold."I already told you this once, I am not taking you back there." The kid still stared at him blankly as if challenging himself whether to believe him or not.

"What happened?" he asked finally. Edward looked conflicted whether he should tell him. Roy desperately wished that the kid would tell him but he stayed quiet, not wanting to dive into the past events. Soon the kid shook his head and tried to sit up, his energy still struggling to stay with him. As he leaned forward, Roy watched him, not wanting the kid to fall over from lack of balance. The kid was still bare naked and only under the protection of the layers upon layers of towels that Roy put over him. He would have expected the kid to be fully out of it in embarassment but he wasn't. Roy sighed to himself and looked back behind him towards the bathroom door.

"Can you stand?" Roy asked the kid. Edward looked down at the filthy floor and slowly nodded. Roy sat there and waited for the kid to do something but he didn't. "Edward, can you stand?" he repeated. There was a long pause and then Edward shook his head. The kid was completely drained of energy. Roy slowly bent down under him and placed his arms under his shoulders and legs. The boy's eyes watched him carefully as he seemed to shy away from his as he made contact. Roy ingnored Edward's phobia for a moment and carefully lifted the bundled up boy in his arms. Edward frowned and squirmed a bit but he was so tired that putting up a fight was nearly useless especially when he was wrapped in so many layers of warm towels. Roy was able to carry him out of the bathroom and set him on the bed. He was glad to see Edward relax slightly as he hit the soft blankets rather than the cold tile floor. Roy picked up some blankets from around the room and wrapped him even more in their warmth. The kid was still freezing cold but he was out of the water and ever so slowly heating up to his surroundings. Edward looked completely worn out from that morning's adventure and his battle in the bathroom. Roy looked at the clock and saw that it was already 1:30. Edward still needed to get clean especially before his brother arrived at the station at 6:00. Roy looked back at his phone and then over to where the kid was staring blankly at the cieling as if deciding whether it was a good idea or not to doze off. He could give the kid a couple hours of rest before they had to dive back into the water right? He didn't want to push the kid too far anyways, especially before he figured out a plan on what to do. Roy nodded his head and after givin Edward one more look over, sat down at his desk and picked up his phone.

...

Edward's ear twitched slightly as he heard it. It was a sound he wished to never hear again, the sound of running water. He had fallen asleep sometime after the Colonel had helped him, no, saved him from the shower. His energy was still amazingly drained from that morning's crazy events. All he wanted to do was sleep. The man had gone off across the room to finish his phone call or something and then left him to his own devices. Edward awoke to feel the large amounts of towels and blankets still bundled around him. They were soft and comforting, but most importantly they were warm. Edward wished he could have just stayed there and relished in the soothing comfort of them but he couldn't. The terrible pounding sound of the water hit his ears and caused him to jolt right up in his bed. The Colonel was gone. His heart skipped a beat as he looked around for any sign of the man. How could he leave him alone? The water berrated his ears and Edward struggled to drown the sound out. He squirmed down, covering his head with the piles of blankets but it did little to muffle the sound, let alone delete it from existence. But suddenly, the water stopped.

At first Edward thought it might have been the blankets effectively blocking it out but after a few moments of prolonged nothing Edward poked his head out to still find it gone. His ears twitched for any sound but they heard nothing but a slight shuffle from inside the guest bathroom. The light was turned on as the light outside was slowly dimming. He looked at the clock to find it four thirty. The door to the bathroom was suddenly opened, filling his dim room with light as Mustang exited. Edward watched him carefully as he neared him. The man looked rather determined, about what Edward could only guess but he had a feeling that he wouldn't like it. As the man reached the bed, still not saying a word, Edward huddled down into his bundle of cloth as if trying to hide but the obvious lump on the bed could not confuse the man.

"Edward," his deep voice came out. Edward had noticed that the man had long since stopped calling him Fullmetal, as if he didn't even deserve the title anymore. _You don't deserve the title and you know it._ The man knelt down so that he could look into his down turned face. Edward tried to look away but he couldn't. The usual stern and cold features on his commander's face were completely washed away, leaving a new man that Edward didn't know. The Colonel was tired, Edward could see it in his eyes and he hated himself for it. The Colonel gave a heavy sigh and looked up at him. Edward pulled the blankets over his head blocking the strange man from view. He didn't know how he could tell, but he knew that something he didn't like was going to happen and the Colonel was the source of it. There was a slight shuffle from the other side of the blanket and suddenly it was being lifted off of him, just enough that his head was exposed. Couldn't the man just leave him alone? No, not alone, never alone. He didn't want to be alone in the dark depth of silence, but the Colonel wasn't talking. He didn't know what to expect. He could just tell that it was bad, for both of them. Couldn't the man just tell him already and get it over with? It was like Jackson. The man never talked, he just did, and it was all unexpected and violent and it hurt. Edward looked up and saw the Colonel's tired eyes starin back at him. Guilt shone out through them and it made Edward squirm back a few inches.

"Edward," the man sighed again, "We need to get you cleaned up before your brother arrives." Edward felt all of his energy seep out of him in an instant as his instincts were confirmed. Edward quickly shook his head in a short response and roughly yanked the blanket out of the man's hands and plunged himself back into the darkness. He wouldn't go back there. The man couldn't make him.

"Edward we need you to get clean it is for your own-"

"No!" Edward snipped quietly back at the man through the blanket, pulling it tighter to him. There was a long pause as if Mustang was waiting for him to give in but he wouldn't budge. He was not going to be drowned, suffocated, and defeated by the cold ruthless water ever again. Edward couldn't even imagine stepping foot back into the bathroom. It was like walking back down in the labs all over again except the worst part was that it was all in his head. He knew it was all in his head, the Colonel had proven that fact millions of times over by snapping him out of his paranoia, but there was nothing he could do about it. It was like reading a scary book and being terrified out of your life but you couldn't put it down, you couldn't stop reading. Edward didn't want to go back there, he didn't want to be sent back to the absent thoughts of his mind.

When the Colonel pulled him out of the shower, Edward could only think of the cement room where he was hosed down so many times before. It felt like he was reallt there, the cold tile of the floor, to the suffocating spray of the water, to the grabbing and restraining arms of the goons. He felt his mind completely shut down. Like after every bath the scientists gave him, he was restrained to a shell of a person. He couldn't move, he couldn't comprehend anything. Edward didn't want to tell the Colonel about that. He didn't want him to even know how terribly afraid he was almost all of the time. It would be admitting he was weak, it would be telling the Colonel how terribly he did screw up on that mission, it would be admitting that just six months was able to tear him apart. It was something that Mustang wouldn't understand. When the Colonel put the towels around him, he barely recognised it as a sign of help of safety. He thought he was just being tied down to the gurney again after his long time under the hose, but it was too soft. It was too warm. The realisation that it was all in his head was probably the worst part about being scared and Edward hated it.

There was a tired groan and then a loud thwump as if someone collapsed to the ground. Edward tightened the blankets around him, not knowing what the man was going to do next but nothing happened. He was plunged into a silence filled with the pouring pitter patter of the rain outside. His ears pinned themselves down to his head as he closed his eyes, attempting to block out the unbearable silence but it just made it worse. He wanted someone to talk, to do something, anything, but nothing happened. For a second, Edward was afraid that the Colonel actually left him. He tried shaking the thought off knowing it was obviously paranoia hitting him at his weakest but Edward just had to make sure. He slowly lifted the blanket and poked his head out of his little cavern. Mustang was laying on the floor, his eyes closed in concentration. Edward watched him for a few seconds, expecting him to do something but the Colonel didn't move an inch. The only motion the man made was the rise and fall of his chest from his breathing. The ticking of the clock beat his ears and the silence mutilated them.

Edward shivered slightly as he pulled himself and the giant pile of blankets and towels that covered him down to the floor to sit next to the man. He made a loud thwump as he hit the ground as hit legs gave out on him, not having all of their energy restored to them yet. However, with the ruckus he made, the Colonel didn't move. Edward waited for a reaction but the man was silent as ever, his brow furrowed ever slightly. Suddenly, he reached out and poked the Colonel's cheek. He flinched slightly but purposely ignored him. Edward frowned and poked him again.

"He-hey," he said, killing the silence as he tried to make the man respond. He prodded the man again, this time with a little more force and the man finally opened his eye ever so slightly. All he wanted was for the man to talk or do something, not just sit there in the still silence. If the Colonel was quiet, the house was quiet, and Edward was plundged into his own hell. Without another sign of action, Edward gave the man another prod.

"C-Come on old man," he scolded the man trying to get his usual edge in his voice but failing. He was still shaking terribly. Mustang however stayed silent. Edward was afraid that at this rate the man would go lock himself up again. He was completely ignoring him, like he didn't exist. He gave the man another desperate poke as if making sure he was still there. How could the Colonel be thinking of that again if he promised to stay just a few hours ago?

"Come on y-you f-fucking bastard, respond!" Edward cried a little louder. He flinched at his own voice and backed away from the Colonel a bit. His ears were pinned down to his head by his hands in an attempt to prevent anyone from grabbing at them. The man turned his head in sudden alert being snapped out of his concentration, his eyes a bit wide from Edward's sudden action. Edward turned away from the man, ashamed that he scared himself like that. He folded the blanket over his head and pinned his knees to his chest. His automail creaked, sending a straight shiver down his back. there was a bit of a shuffle from behind him and a deep mellow sigh from the Colonel was released.

"Edward, I need you to cooperate with me here, alright? We won't get anywhere if we don't know what is going on-"

"Y-You know p-perfectly well what is g-going on!" Edward accused the man, pulling the blanket tighter around him. "Y-you just want m-me to take a b-b-bath l-like they did," he mumbled.

"I am not... wait... what?" the Colonel questioned. Edward's eyes widened as he realised what he said. There was another shuffle until the man sat right infront of him. Edward squeezed his knees tighter to his chest and scooted back an inch until his back was pressed against the frame of the bed. He could feel the interrogating eyes of the Colonel on him even through the tough fabric of the blanket. Suddenly the top of the blanket was unfolded and Edward's head was exposed to the cold air of the room. The black eyes of the Colonel were locked tight on him and they didn't look like they would be moving anytime soon. "What did you mean like they did?"

"C-Colonel, I-I don't-" Edward started but the man's face twisted into anger as he fought to gain his composure. Edward flinched at the man's change in demeanor and his hands imediately flew up to cover his ears. He didn't know if the man was fustrated with him or just angry with the situation but he didn't want to find out either way. The Colonel sat back for a few moments and took in a couple deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Edward, please," the man said calmly and forcefully reserved, "Please just tell me what those bastards did to you. I need to kno-'

"N-No you don't! Y-You d-don't need to know! Please, I d-don't want to g-go back there," Edward yelled at the man in nothing above a whisper. A heavy hand rested on his shoulder and he shook it off, scooting a few paces away so that the man couldn't touch him again.

"Edward I am not going to take you back there," the man tried to reason but Edward shook his head, blocking out the Colonel's words.

"Please," Edward begged him. There was a long silence that stretched through the room. Edward tried to shake it off but it seemed to grow even larger the more he waited. The sound of the rain pattered against the roof hammered his ears. His tail twitched slightly in protest against the towels. Edward waited and waited for the man to say something but he didn't. He looked behind him to find the Colonel gazing off distantly, his face furrowed in concentration, probably devicing a compromise. Edward watched him, worried of what exactly the man was thinking about. He wasn't talking at all. He scooted closer to his commanding officer and poked him again.

"Edward, why do you keep poking me?" the man grumbled. Edward opened his mouth to answer but he couldn't seem to find the words.

"W-what are you thinking a-about?" he asked instead. The colonel raised an eyebrow and took a deep breath as Edward waited patiently for an answer.

"How to get you clean without having to duke it out," the man replied simply. Edward frowned and then pulled back a little, pinning his legs back to his chest. There was another creak along with his automail.

"Oh..." Edward muttered, keeping a close eye on the man to make sure he wasn't going to try was a long pause and Edward squirmed under the sound of the rain hitting the roof. He had half a mind to nudge the Colonel again but the man already beat him to it. He took a deep sigh and moved so he was sitting right next to him. Edward moved a few inches to the left so that their elbows weren't touching but it didn't seem to offend the man. There was only a short pause before the man opened his mouth again to start speaking.

"I don't really know how to deal with this kind of situation, Edward," the Colonel admitted slowly dragging his point out. Though the topic was grim, Edward preferred it to the deadly silence that the house gave off. "Hueghs was always better at this than I was. I should know, because he helped me through it as well."

"What? You-" Edward started but the man gave him a questionable look and shook his head, shutting his question down before it even began.

"No, I didn't have... that... happen to me, but for the longest time after the war I couldn't even look at fire. I was terrified of it. I couldn't even make myself a hot meal because I couldn't light the stove. It was just one of the down falls of being the flame alchemist. But I obviously got better. Maes practically dragged me up the wall to get my butt in gear before I actually tried to do something about it. Benjamin helped of course when he came around and helped me out a bit, more ways than one-"

"I-Is that why you don't cook?" Edward asked, a slight knowing grin growing on his face. Mustang glared softly at him.

"No," the man said turning down the topic imediately. Edward frowned slightly and dragged the blankets tighter around him. "No, Edward, what I am trying to say is that you need to be able to help yourself get over the fear of water."

"I-I can't-" Edward stumbled but he realised his arguement was pointless as the shock of the Colonel's story came to mind. He couldn't beleive that the almighty Flame Alchemist was afraid of fire itself. What could have caused that? The man went through war and back, there was only a limited amount of possibilities that those flames could have done over in Ishval. Edward shivered slightly at the thought of it. That man could destroy an army with only the raise of his hand, yet he was scared. Edward poked his own mismatched hands out of his blankets and stared at them for a few moments. They were weak, they couldn't do anything like the Colonel could, atleast not anymore. He was pathetic and scared and he didn't even have the balls to tell the man what had happened in the labs nor the full effect of his transmutation yet. He sighed to himself and slipped his hands back down under the blankets and pulled them tighter around his bare skin. Maybe he should tell the man, just to prove that he had some guts left to build off of, but even the thought of remembering those terrible months trapped in those cages and being brutally maimed was just too much for him. _Baby steps Elric_. He looked over at the Colonel who was waiting patiently for his full answer.

Alphonse was going to be at the station in one hour, he reminded himself as he took a longing glance at the clock. His little brother would see him and fear the worst. If anything, Edward wanted to prevent that at all costs. He couldn't let Alphonse even think of any of the terrible things that the scientists did to him. He didn't want him to worry. The only reason he ever did anything was for his brother. Whether it turned out good or bad he did it for him. He was the older brother he had to be strong. Edward took in a deep breath and held it there for a while. If he wasn't strong for himself, he had to be strong for his brother even if he feared the path he had to travel down.

He looked back at the Colonel and shakily nodded his head, his nerves still shot and begging him to flee. Mustang smiled and helped him stand up, his legs wobbily from lack of strength. The bundle of blankets was the only thing covering him and it was the only thing keeping him warm so Edward struggled to keep all of them tight to him as Mustang led him towards the bathroom. The man was muttering some reasurring words but Edward tuned them out, them being too faint for him to grab onto. As they stepped onto the cool tile floor, a chill ran up his spine as the incoming doom was ever closer, yet it felt different. A steamy blast of air hit his face as he entered. He looked around to see all of the mirrors fogged with condensed water, too clouded for him to even see himself. This was different, it wasn't... cold. The Colonel started to steer him towards the tub, he felt himself clench up. He looked up and back at the door but found that it was closed. When did that happen?

"Edward, stay calm, stay focused," the Colonel's deep voice rang out. Edward whipped his head forward and looked down at the tub. It was small and deep and filled with steaming hot water. His body froze as he looked at it, not able to make one step closer. The Colonel had to catch him since he stopped in mid step and completely off balance. He just couldn't move at all.

"I-I c-can't-" Edward shivered as his eyes refused to tear from the haunting tub of water.

"Alright, Elric, if that is all you got then I guess that's it then," Mustang said in his condenscending tone. Edward frowned and gave the man a weak glare but it didn't phase him. He looked back at the tub and took in a huge breath. He carefully took another step closer, forcing his legs to keep moving. He was so close to it he could just reach down and touch it, maybe drown in it. _No, don't think of that._ The Colonel, who was still helping him stand, waited patiently for his next move. Edward felt so tired at that moment, he wished he could just go back and lay down, but the door was shut. He looked down at the ground and with the giant bundle of blankets slowly lowered himself to it. He was now at eye level with the tub. _Almost there. _Edward looked back and forth nervously between the Colonel and the water. What was he supposed to do now? The Colonel motioned him forward with a nod but he just stared at the water for a few moments. The steam hit his face and warmed it more than the blankets ever did. So, the water wasn't cold, that was... nice. He slowly reached a hand out to touch it but before he could, he pulled back. His ear twitched as he tried to listen to it but there was no roaring thunder of the hose. It was still... that was nice. He took another nervous glance back at the Colonel.

"Get in," the man ordered softly. Edward nodded his head and looked down at the pile of blankets that covered him. He turned slightly pink with the realisation.

"Uh, Um, c-could you... t-turn a-around for a-a moment?" he asked but the man just grew a smile which made him turn even redder.

"Alright, never knew you were this self conscious," he teased as he turned his back on him. For a split second the motion made Edward think he was going to leave just like he did outside that morning, but the man stayed put, sitting down on the closed toilet seat. He waited a moment just to make sure it wasn't a hoax and then Edward slowly lifted himself out of his pile of blankets. It was cold, colder than the warm cavern he was in just a few moments before but it was steamy and comforting for some reason. Now all he had to do was get in. Edward started to lift his right foot but then quickly switched to his left automail one. At least he couldn't feel it then. His hands held the side of the tub with bone crushing grip as he slowly put his automail leg into the water. He didn't feel anything except for the steam rising up his leg. It felt strange. Edward waited a while, unsure of whether to continue or not. He placed his left hand against the wall of the shower, bracing himself incase he needed a quick escape then he ever so slowly lowered his right foot into the water.

The shock made him lose his balance and fall into the water, a huge wave soaring over the edge of the tub. He let out a yelp as he felt the water soak his skin and splash over him. He scrambled on the slippery surface of the shower floor to get out but his feet couldn't catch. Edward tried to pull himself out of the water, only managing to slump over the edge of the tub, half out of it. The cool air hit him and seemed to freeze every droplet of water that threatened to suffocate him. His body tensed up as a shocking wave of ice went over him, stopping him on the spot. He felt like he couldn't move, his eyes wide in panick. His tail was pinned so close to his body in fright he thought that it might just break off. It was freezing and yet warm at the same time.

"Edward," an alert voice came out. Edward snapped his head up to it and caught sight of the black haired man that was standing over him. The man was tense as if ready to strike. Edward wanted to flinch, to run, to hide, but his body still couldn't tell if it was better to get out into the freezing cold or stay in the drowning water. The the hard floors started to shift and distort in his mind to that terrible cement room. His breath hitched in his throat as he closed his eyes trying to block the looming image of Doc out of his mind. He needed to keep himself under control this was all his imagination. _Then why is he here? _He heard a bit of shuffling as the man crawled closer. He felt like he was right on top of him, ready to take him back to the diagnostics room. He was trapped again, like he always was, and he had no where he could run even if he could. If he tried anything the man would surely punish him, blow the whistle in his ear, or pull his tail again. He opened his eyes slightly to see that the Doc was right in front of him, knees digging into the cold cement floor. The man stooped down and knelt beside him until their eyes were level. The cement floor started to fade away ever so slowly as Edward focused on the man's black eyes. They weren't blue, the cold, harsh, smiling blue. They were black. Edward felt his panick relax ever so slightly. The man was talking but for some reason he couldn't hear him. His ears twitched furiously, trying to snap his senses back into order.

"Edward, are you alright? Do you want to get out?" the Colonel asked him slowly, making sure he could hear him correctly. Edward shook his head, unable to grab onto any valuable words at that moment. "Do you want to get back in?" He shook his head again.

"Edward, you are going to have to pick one," he said. Edward looked back down at the water where he was half submerged. It was still steamy, warm, but it was wet. He could feel it soaking him, flooding every cell in his body. It was a terrible feeling. He wanted to get away from it. Yet, it didn't hurt. The water wasn't forcefull, it was just there, slowly suffocating him without a pouding pain of the hose. Edward glanced back at the Colonel who was waiting for him, ready to take action when he was. He gave a slow nodd of his head and the man smiled slightly. It wasn't the cold, harsh, knowing smile that the Doc gave, it wasn't the lifeful smile that his mother used to have, it was something different that he only saw a few times before in his life and it was comforting. A flash of gold swept through his eyes and then he caught a glimpse of a blonde haired man flashing a small sad grin at him. Edward froze, trying to grab a hold of the quick picture but he found himself slowly slipping down into the steamy warmth of the water. The Colonel had his arms wrapped securely around his chest as he started to lower him into the tub. Edward wanted to shove the arms off, he wanted to get the tackling and restraining hold off of him, but he didn't. They didn't hurt, neither did the water. After the Colonel pulled back, Edward was left staring blankly at the opposite wall for a few moments. The water gently lapped his chin, enveloping him. His mind blanked out for a second as he tried to grasp a hold of the simple concept of being in water.

Suddenly he felt a soft cloth hit his cheek. His eyes darted up to see the Colonel gently wiping away the dirt that undoubtedly caked his face. He could feel it crumble away like a shell. It felt refreshing in a strange way, he didn't know how to describe it. It was a long time since he felt his own skin free of dirt and oil, six months to be exact. Edward's hand slowly reached up and found the cloth, grabbing a light hold of it. The Colonel faltered as Edward started to take control of the motion, gently massaging the dirt away from his face. It was labourous but it was comforting. Edward rubbed his face clean, his mind in a blank accepting stare. His arms slowly faded from the mud stained brown to the sickly white colour that they gained from the lack of natural sunlight. Every now and then Edward would rinse the cloth out, gradually turning the pool of crystal clear water brown and tarnished. After what felt like ages, Edward looked down to find all of the mud gone from him and now mixing around in the lukewarm water. He was clean. A smile crept on his face as he felt a weak thrum rang through his chest. He was clean. It was a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time. It was like everything that had happened was wiped away, but more importantly, he was able to take a bath. A light chuckle made him look up to see a ghost of a grin on the Colonel's face.

"Almost done," he noted calmly as he pulled out a few bottles of soap. Edward recognised them as shampoo. He reached back curiously and touched the matted mess of his hair. It was filthy and stiff from the layers of oil and mud caked to it. There was a light squirt as the man emptied some soap into his palm. He gently placed it on the back of Edward's head where his long hair was all tangled up. Edward flinched at the touch but tried to keep himself calm, taking a deep breath as the man tried to gently get the knots out of his mane. Little by little, he felt his locks fall down out of the mass bunch of it. He lifted his hand out of the water and slowly took a few of them. They were all split and scraggely, but their shine was slowly coming back to it. Edward almost forgot what he looked like. All he remembered was that scared filthy little creature he saw in the mirror a few days ago. That couldn't have been him, at least not anymore.

Suddenly, something pressed the base of his ear. Edward yelped as he shoved the thing away, trying to make it relinquish its hold. He scrambled back as far as he could, quickly covering his ears from any other attacks. The pain of all the hands that grabbed and pulled at them came back as if they were happening all over again. The nails dug into his sensitive ears as the scientists seemed to rip them from his head. It hurt, it hurt so very bad and he couldn't stand it. Doc and Jackson always pulled at his ears, at his tail, anywhere when he disobeyed them. What did he do now? He didn't do anything wrong, at least he thought. Edward pinned his tail close to his chest, hoping that they would just leave him alone.

"Edward, calm down, it was just me," a deep voice came out. His eyes snapped open and he caught sight of the Colonel staring down at him. The man's hands were covered in suds and his sleeves were rolled up. Edward watched him carefully, refusing to move from his defensive position. After a few short moments, the Colonel reached out a hand, smoothly, and took a light grip of his forearm. He wanted to squirm away but the hold was so light it just seemed different than the men in the labs. Edward didn't do anything as he watched the Colonel with wide eyes. The man slowly lowered his hand from his head and reached over and did the same with the other one. As his hands fell down, Edward's ears twitched around, stretching out from being squashed to his head so forcefully. "I won't touch them if you can clean them yourself when I am finished," the man offered, but he shook his head.

"I-I got it..." Edward replied slowly, unsure of what he was doing. The Colonel shrugged a little as he passed the soap bottle to him. He waited till the man backed off a bit before finishing the job. It took a little longer than what he expected the Colonel to do but there was no way he was going to let that man touch his ears. There was no telling what the man could have done to them. Though Edward doubted that Mustang would have tried to rip his ears off with a harsh tug, he wasn't going to chance it. He wasn't going to chance anything. After he was done, Edward rinsed his hands in the murky water, getting all of the suds off. He leaned back and carefully washed the soap out of his hair which was now all perfectly untangled. He felt completely clean, like and entire weight was lifted off of his shoulders. It might have been the weight that the mud caused or it might have been something else, but Edward was glad that it was gone. It was a fresh new sensation.

"Well, you did it, I guess," the Colonel said to him as he held out a bundle of fresh towels for him. Edward felt a victourious smile slowly creep up on him. He did it, he actually did it. Unfortunately, his silent celebration was cut short with the realization that he would have to get out of the bath now and into the cold. His smile faded as the Colonel waited patiently for him with his eyes closed and back turned. No, he might have been able to get a fresh start, but he still hated the water.


	14. The Reunion

_Authour's note: I can't believe how much I haven't been updating. I feel really bad about it for both stories. Well here is a really long chapter, though it doesn't make up for as much as I have missed. Yet as I suffer through senior year, those of you who are doing or already did know how it goes, I will try to update as much as possible. I will try to keep up with my statuses on my profile if you wanted to know what is causing a delay or how the chapter is going. I know I haven't been updating it a lot but for entire thanksgiving break I was suffering with staggering internet connections. So I will be sure to change that. Once I chose a college, get all of my details set, I will be able to update more frequently. However, that might not be until late spring but I have a feeling I will finish all open stories by then. Anyways, enjoy._

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

Chapter 14

The Reunion

Jean walked briskly through the crowded platforms of the train station, searching high and low for the little, yet still big, Elric. It was never hard to find the younger Elric since he was a six foot tall suit of armour. They had picked him up several times before and could see the kid a mile away. Yet, Jean was wanting to find him fast, as fast as he could, so that he could get back to the drug bust that the team was still on. The sooner he dropped off the boy at the Colonel's house, the sooner he would be able to figure out some idea of what happened to the elder Elric. It wasn't fair that the Colonel had him stay while everyone else got to search the hospitals for any information on the bioweapons the man had told him about. Whatever the Cheif had gotten himself in this time, it was big and Jean wanted to help all he could. He was so close one one of their failed rescue missions, he was standing _inside_ the hospital and he was oblivious to everything. He still didn't know what actually happened to Edward but he didn't have to guess to know that it was bad. _What was he going to tell Alphonse?_

The large crowd in the station was packed so tight that all of Jean's efforts to make this trip as quick as possible were in vain. They were practically sardines in a can, shuffling along through the flow of the crowd. It was driving him insane. The clock hanging above the platform showed that it was already six thirty, or 18:30 as he should really be addressing it. Alphonse would have gotten off of the train ages ago. Jean cursed to himself as he risked a little jump to see over all of the heads of the people. He caught the tall form of armour just a while off. He was wading his way through the crowd just a ways off. However, his progress was slow as ever as he kept allowing some of the smaller people to go ahead of him. This would cause a great commotion as he would bump into someone else by mistake, apologise, and then bump into another and so on. Jean cried to himself in aggravation as he shoved his way through the crowd towards the kid, recieving some angry words in return from the other pedestrians.

"Hey! Alphonse!" Jean shouted into a random person's ear. The armour looked up and spotted him, handing out a short wave. However, this pause stopped the crowd and made a whole line of people upset. Alphonse apologised yet again and quickly, as quickly as the station would allow, hurried over to Jean in the excitement.

"Mr. Havoc! Is everything alright? You don't look too happy," the big younger Elric rambled as Jean dragged himover into the stream of people who were all shuffling towards the exit.

"Well, I don't want to put a damper on your spirits, little Cheif, but I kind of have a bone to pick with the Colonel," he huffed as the crowd started to part as people boarded trains. They scurried through the openings and headed towards the entrance way. As the reached the gate, Havoc curiously looked out from underneath the cover of the station roof. "Huh, it stopped raining," he sighed as he shoved his hands into his pockets and lead the Elric out to the parking lot where his car awaited for them.

"It was raining?" Alphonse asked.

"Yeah, on and off for the past week. It wasn't so bad today, unless you count this morning. It was practically flooding until ten. Now I guess it finally stopped. Three days ago was probably the worst though. I never saw a summer storm that bad," he said absent mindedly.

"That was the day you guys found Edward!" Alphonse exclaimed. "Is he alright? Where did you find him? He didn't catch a cold did he?" Jean sighed as he massaged his brow lightly. He opened the car door for the kid and the large suit of armour climbed in. The car looked like it would buckle under the boy's weight but it managed. He closed the door without answering and took the few seconds to walk around to the driver's seat for his own peace and quiet. What was he going to tell Alphonse? He couldn't say that his brother ran into a potentially deadly group of scientists who were trying to create biological weapons for the government. He _could_ tell the kid that, but then again with as much information as he had, or rather didn't, he would just end up worrying the boy more than the actual story might. As he opened the driver's seat, he climbed in to find Alphonse trying to stretch one of the tiny seat belts over his armour, but it was a lost cause. He let out a heavy breath as he easily clicked his belt into place and shut the door.

"Kid, I...I have to admit, that out of everyone, I probably know the least about what happened to your brother," he muttered. There was a long silent pause which Jean took to start the car engine and pull out of the lot.

"But, you need to at least know something. Mr. Havoc -"

"All I know is that the Colonel picked him up at the bar while we were on an absolute failure of a rescue mission. he has been there ever since. Not one of us saw him at all except the Colonel, however we talked over the phone line a couple times the other day."

"Do any of you even know what happened to him? Mr. Havoc, I need to know!" the armour begged quietly, pleading him to wrack his brain of all information, however there were some details that Jean just really didn't want to give him.

"The rest of the team, except the Colonel that is and me, are on an investigative mission right now, trying to figure out exactly what is going on but...Alphonse,"Jean said pausing ever so slightly as he thought things over, "I think the Colonel knows... not everything... but he knows."

"But-But why wouldn't he tell anyone? Why wouldn't he tell me? I am his brother! Mr. Havoc, what if something terrible happened? I mean, Edward w-would have called me right? He w-would have told me he was fine! What if he's not-" Alphonse started to babble and panic.

"I don't know Little Cheif, but like I said, I got a bone to pick with the Colonel. I guess we could both ask him when we get there."

...

It was cold, it was wet. That was all Edward could feel. He wrapped the mountains of blankets around him tighter, trying to keep in his rapidly escaping heat. A large roaring fire sat in the hearth and radiated outward towards him but its warmth seemed to be repelled from him, as if scared to come near. A shiver wracked his body as his eyes were forever caught on the flame, begging it to come closer. However, the living room still stayed as cold as ever.

The fresh smell of soap wafted up his nose as he sat on the couch, absorbing the feeling of cleanliness. It was refreshing but the light hint of chemicals burnt his nose as well, making it sting ever so slightly. Yet, he felt oddly free. His skin, however sickly pale it was, could breath again. His hair, soaking wet as it was, flowed freely again. It was as if he was slowly being restored again. For that small moment, he was safe. Another shiver ran through his tail and all the way up his spine, jarring him from his thoughts. Nope, nevermind. Edward dragged the blankets over his wet ears and pinned the fabric under his chin until his face was the only thing exposed to the cool elements of the house. Soft footsteps shuffled their way from upstairs landing down into the entrance way. It was the Colonel. He had brought him downstairs after he got dressed and lit a fire for him before running back upstairs to clean up the mess that was undoubtedly left behind. The man gave him a weak and tired smile before heading into the kitchen to prepare some dinner. Benjamin wasn't back yet, which was odd, but the Colonel told him that the man occasionally worked long nights. Edward sat in silence for a short while as the clock slowly ticked by. It was nearly seven. The sound of time berrated his ears and twisted his stomach into knots which he feared would never come undone. Alphonse was coming soon. At anymoment he could barge in and find his older brother a bundled mess in the living room. Edward wanted to see him, he longed to be reunited with his brother ever since he left him that fateful day six months ago, but he couldn't bring himself to wish that Alphonse could come on second sooner. He wasn't ready to see his brother. No matter how much he wished to hear the happy voice of his younger brother, he just wasn't ready to deal with the disappointment that was sure to follow. He didn't want to show Alphonse what happened to him. He didn't want to reveal how far gone he was. Would brother even understand? Would he even accept him now that he let him down? There was one thing that he wasn't ready to tell anyone yet, not even the Colonel knew, but he had a feeling Alphonse might push it out of him. He looked up at the grandfather clock which tocked rather loudly beside him. It was seven fifteen.

Edward slowly stood up in the dead silence of the house and shuffled his feet across the floor, his automail making an odd clink off of the hard stone as he made his way to the kitchen. The blankets were still bundled around him and he was careful not to step on the trails as he pushed open the swinging doors from the dining room into the large cooking area. The Colonel was bent over a book thoughtfully as a pot of stew boiled over behind him. It seemed that he was wanting to cook for his coming guest but the man had forgotten that Alphonse didn't eat and Edward couldn't eat what ever he was making. It was going to be repulsive anyways by the way it smelled and Edward found himself slightly thankful for not having the stomach anymore. _No! Don't ever say that. You would eat his nasty cooking anyday if you could just get these ears off. _Edward caught a wiff of the foul smell of burning vegetables and quickly made a disgusted face in return.

"What you don't like it?" Mustang asked with a rather prideful gleam. Edward shook his head and quietly made his way over to one of the chairs placed around the island counter. He hopped up and sat in one next to where the cutting boards were scattered about. There was a pile of terribly chopped onions on one. They smelled sweet, probably vidalia. Edward picked up a small piece and studied it. _Maybe if he had just one it wouldn't upset his stomach so much._ But before he could even taste the sweet smelling onion it was quickly snatched out of his hand by the Colonel. "If you are going to poison yourself, do it right and have some of my cooking," he snipped before picking up the board and placing it far out of his reach. Edward growled to himself as he resituated the blanket around him. The kitchen was fairly warmer than the living room even as the fire was burning since there were the many cooking fumes coming from the stovetop and possible the oven as what seemed like buns were left lightly baking. As the Colonely turned back to his attempts of becoming a one star chef, the kitchen was plunged back into silence, only the rattling of kitchen ware filling the gaps. Edward looked behind him and caught the time on the clock which hung from the wall. It was only twenty past seven now.

"You alright?" the Colonel's deep voice came out suddenly. Edward turned to see the man catch him staring at the clock.

"I-I guess," he answered softly. The man sighed as he stirred the pot once more before putting a lid on it.

"Alphonse would be here any moment, don't you worry," he told him. Edward felt another knot wind itself into his gut as he glanced back at the clock. Suddenly a lound ring went through the house.

_Di-Di-Di-Ding Dong, Ding Dong. _

Edward launched out of his seat in fright and fell out of his chair as the sound bounced off of the walls and echoed through the empty house. He tried to dig his way down into the labrynth of blankets to try and get away from it. He plowed his head down to the ground and covered his hears with the layers of fabric, plunging himself into the total darkness in an attempt to get away, get away from everything. His heart nearly stopped as his mind tried to grab a concept of what that sound really ment. It wasn't the many whistles and clatters of the Doc's training. He felt a hand rest on his back. He tried to fight it off but he himself couldn't seem to move.

"Edward that was just the door bell, they're here," the colonel tried to reassure him but it made it even worse. Edward froze completely as he felt his body drain itself of all warmth. Alphonse was here. He jolted up from the ground so suddenly, he nearly knocked the Colonel over.

"N-no! N-not yet. Please not yet. Don't let them in," Edward begged as he quickly shifted back and forth, not quite knowing what to do. He needed to run, or hide, or both. They couldn't be here, not yet. Mustang stood up slowly as if trying not to scare him.

"Edward, it is your brother. I am letting him in. You want to see him don't you?" he asked slowly.

"Yes! I mean, No! I mean... not y-yet... p-please!" Edward pleaded but the Colonel frowned at him, not accepting them at all.

"Why wouldn't you-"

"C-Colonel, I can't! I just... not now please. I-I don't want Alphonse-"

"He is going to see you sooner or later, Edward. He wouldn't think any different of you. You're being selfish." The bell rang impatiently again and Edward jumped frightened onto the counter top. His freshly bandaged foot just barely missing one of the randomly placed cutting knives. The Colonel yanked it swiftly off of the counter top along with all of the other knives as to avoid another automail surgery. Edward was trembling now, his body fully out of control. The Colonel gave him a stern glare, but it had no harm behind it. The man motioned for him to stay before he turned, with the knives still in hand to go answer the door. Edward felt his heart quicken as he heard the creaking of the door open. He needed to get out of there. He wasn't ready. His tail flicked behind him once as he got up to race out the door, but he froze. He couldn't go that way! The only exit that he knew of was to the dining room dirrectly next to the entrance way, other than that it was outside. After the events of that morning, Edward never wanted to go outside again. He quickly spun around and looked anywhere and everywhere for somewhere to go or somewhere to hide. His eye caught one of the larger cabinets underneath the sink. He just wasn't ready yet, couldn't they see that?

...

Alphonse stared up at the large mansion that layed before him. Was this really the Colonel's house? Was brother really in there? Alphonse trembled slightly with the excitement and the terror of it all. He was going to meet Edward. It was six long months since his brother had disappeared. Everyone, no matter how pure of intentions, seemed to give up on him but Alphonse knew, he _knew_ that his brother was too strong to let anything happen to him. Then again, he was too stubborn not to. He waited with no patience for the door to open and for Edward to come flying out of it alright, but time ticked by and that did not happen. Jean rang the bell a couple more times as if they didn't hear him the first time. Alphonse swayed back and forth from his heels to his toes and back again, a clanking noise coming from his armour as he did so, yet the time still ticked on. What if brother really wasn't alright? What if something terrible happened to him? Alphonse tried to push the thoughts out of his mind but they just kept coming back in. The Colonel didn't tell anyone anything, yet it was proven that Edward was found through his phone calls. Why was he hiding everything? There was no reason for it unless Edward was still in some form of danger. People could be after him or his appearance might endanger someone. Maybe he was in hiding because he had to be. In that case, Alphonse was all ready to knock the door down and help his brother. Edward always had a terrible habbit of bearing not only his own, but other people's burdens as well. Alphonse wouldn't let him do such thing. He needed to get to him, he needed to make sure he was all well.

Suddenly the door was opened. If Alphonse had a heart, it would have skipped a bit in the excitement of finally seeing his brother, but it wasn't Edward who answered the door. The Colonel stepped outside into the chilly summer evening and quickly closed the large door behind him, not even allowing him to get the slightest peak inside. Where was Edward? Why wasn't he here? Alphonse caught sight of some kitchen knives in his hands. There were three total.

"How was your trip?" the Colonel smiled to him, completely ignoring the peculair look of his appearance.

"Alright, sir," Alphonse answered quickly, not wishing to prolong anything for even a fraction of a time. Mustang nodded his head, not even pushing the light greetings any further. It was with this that Alphonse noticed the huge bags underneath the man's eyes. He looked tired, extremely tired, as if he hasn't slept well in several days. He had a slight discoloration on the one side of his face as if someone had given him a good beating that was slowly trying to heal itself. Alphonse gasped a bit. Was that Edward? Did he punch the Colonel? Even though he always said he hated the man there was nothing that would make him deliberately punch him without any reason. What happened? The Colonel rubbed his stubbly face, as it seemed he didn't shave in a couple days, and gave a huge sigh, the knifes dangling precariously at his side.

"Alright, Fullmetal is inside the kitchen, at least I hope he stayed there," the man said, mumbling the last half underneath his breath. Alphonse shifted around nervously. So, Edward really was there. This wasn't just a dream. "Now, before you go in I... need to warn you of something-"

"What! What is it? Did something happen?" Alphonse exclaimed suddenly. He was slightly glad he didn't have a stomach because at this point it would have been tied. So something did happen. The Colonel was admitting it, but what was it? Alphonse begged to the heavens that his brother was safe. Even though he didn't believe in a god, he wished that they heard his prayers anyways.

"Well-"

"Come on, Colonel, spit it out!" Jean ordered completely impatient. However, this outburst seemed to even surprise him as he realised he just gave an order to a superior officer. Jean quickly clamped his mouth shut but Mustang seemed to pay no heed to him.

"Yes, something did happen. Alphonse, your brother... is not exactly the same as he was before hand. I don't want to explain it all to you, since you will see but... I just want to warn you both-"

"Both?" Jean asked curiously. The man nodded slowly with batted breath.

"Yes, aren't you glad you took my orders to pick Elric up from he trainstation," the Colonel sarcastically snapped at him, giving the man a short point of the knife. Jean backed away slightly as if he truly believed that the Colonel would use it. However, Alphonse notice a quivering smile grow on the lieutenant's face. It was there for a second but quickly disappeard as a new fear too over. It was obvious that both of them didn't want to see what had happened to Edward, yet both of them did. Alphonse needed to see his brother no matter what. "Fullmetal is suffering from... some trama from the incident. And, I guess I should tell you that he doesn't like loud noises, water, and seldomly does he allow contact with anyone-"

"And you didn't take him to see anyone?" Alphonse scolded him.

"What were you thinking!" Jean added on. The Colonel didn't flinch but his eyes darted down to the ground for a split second in what seemed like guilt and Alphonse felt slightly ashamed that he yelled at the man. It was, after all, the Colonel who found his brother. He shouldn't have asked any more from him.

"I would have, but I couldn't," the man told them. They two of them glanced at each other, unsure of what the man was trying to get at. With a short beat, the Colonel reached back down to the door and opened it ever so slightly. "Alright, one at a time I don't want you two scaring him. Jean, I am afraid that I am going to have you waid outside," the man ordered. Jean looked like he wanted to complain, but Alphonse knew he couldn't. This was what he wanted and so he couldn't fight with the man over the slightest thing. They were going to get to see brother.

The Colonel held the door open and ushered Alphonse into his large house. He gave Jean a short wave, unfortunately with the knife hand, before closing it behind him. It was big, that was all he could think as he looked around the huge intricate interior. There was beautiful white floors, and a large grand staircase in the very front. It was what Alphonse pictured a palace to look like. How could the Colonel ever afford to live here? A large piano sat near the entrance way to what looked to be a living room. Alphonse wished that he could play it but his fingers were all too big for the keys. Snapping out of his trance, Alphonse lightly stepped across the floors, not wanting to scratch them or dirty them, to where the Colonel was waiting in what looked like a dining room.

"He should be right through there," he announced pointing to a swinging servant's door that undoubtedly lead to the kitchen with the knives which Alphonse was really beginning to question why he had. However, he wasn't thinking of that at that moment. With the news of his brother Alphonse really did feel his heart stop. He didn't care if he didn't have one, he felt it. He was so close and yet he was so scared to move another step. What if his brother was no longer sane? What if he wasn't the same butt kicking brother? The Colonel lead him over and Alphonse found his feet absently following him. The door slowly opened, and Alphonse wished to race in and run away at the same time. However, he did neither when he saw what was on the other side.

"Oh no," the Colonel groaned to himself as he raced into the empty room, laying the knives on the table. Alphonse stood in the door way frozen as he watched the Colonel curse to himself about leaving him alone. He looked around but found only a pot of what looked to be stew, boil over from underneath the lid. All other sign of life was nonexistent. A deepening pain ignited in him which nearly caused him to choke. Did Edward really run from him? Surely he knew he was coming, why wouldn't he be there to see him? Alphonse blindly shuffled into the room, his heavy armour clanking around and he searched for any sign that his brother was still there. He couldn't have just run off, it wasn't like Edward. A sudden fear shot through him. Did Edward blame him? Did he blame him for never finding him? It wasn't until Mustang called him that Alphonse actually stopped his search. That couldn't have been it. Edward would have known he would never give up, but what if Edward gave up on him?

"C-Colonel, where is brother?" Alphonse asked quietly. The man ran over to the back door to see if it was opened, but it remained locked tight. He cursed to himself harshly as he ran back over to the swinging doors.

"He couldn't have gone far. I knew I shouldn't have left him! How could I have been so blind!" he heard the Colonel scold himself. As the man began to pass him, Alphonse felt his arm reach up completely out of his control and stop the man in his tracks.

"Colonel, where is my brother? This isn't s-some trick is it?" he asked stiffly, almost a threat it was so deadly.

"Alphonse, this isn't a joke. He was here, he was waiting-"

"He couldn't have dissappeared into thin air, Colonel! What happened!" Alphonse found himself yelling in complete desperation. The man didn't move but it was obvious that his words had meant something to him. Alphonse found himself quickly apologising for his rudeness. He just needed to find his brother. Six months was way too long.

"I think he's scared," the man answered truthfully after a moment of thought.

"S-scared? O-Of what?" Alphonse asked but even the most blind person could see the answer right in front of them. "Of me?" he finally added, letting the answer slip out of his metal helmet, shocking himself even the slightest bit. The Colonel nodded his head and massaged his tired and worn head in his hands. Alphonse felt sick all of a sudden.

"B-But, why would he be scared of me?" he questioned himself, "I-I am his brother... I-I..." he studdered trying to find something to reassure himself with but it was all at a loss. The Colonel put his hand on his shoulder as if in comfort, but Alphonse couldn't feel it at all. He didn't want to feel it. All he wanted to do was to find his brother. He took another glance around the room, wishing to find his brother happily sitting in one of the kitchen chairs waving to him, but they were all empty. However, there were several things out of place which caught his eye.

A small collection of random soaps and sponges caught Alphonse's attention in the middle of his dispair. They were all tossed about across the floor from one of the cabinets. Slowly, he made his way over towards the sink, where the scattered soaps seemed to emerge from. As he clanked closer, Alphonse heard an almost inaudible breath come from nowhere. He quickly stole a look behind him to where the Colonel was standing. He heard it too. They now both stared at the cabinet underneath the sink in deep anticipation. Pushing some dish soaps out of the way, Alphonse slowly knelt down to the ground, deserving a loud chank from the floor. He faltered slightly as he reached out and grabbed a hold of one of the handles. Ever so gently, Alphonse pulled it open. Inside, there was the bundled up form of his brother. He was curled up in a tiny ball, so tight it made him seem even smaller than he was. The fact that he could fit underneath the sink cabinet was not helping either. He had his mismatched legs, completely exposed to the short sleeved clothes he was wearing, pinned to his chest. The exposed skin was so pale that it could have challenged the ivory keys on the piano. His arms were wrapped so tightly around his ears Alphonse thought at any second he could crush his own head. His hair was wet as if he had just taken a shower and it was messily scattered bout having not been put up at all. However, though Alphonse could see him, Edward couldn't see him. His eyes were scrunched shut, cutting out all outside stimuli from reaching him. He looked scared, just like the Colonel said. Was he really scared of him? But he was his brother. Suddenly, a slight flicker caught his attention as something behind his brother moved. At first he thought it was a catch of the light, but it wasn't as it moved again. It was trembling, the long golden length of fur, and it was trembling just like brother. Alphonse gasped silghtly but even this small noise caused Edward to flinch terribly. He curled up tighter on himself and squeezed his eyes even tighter shut. The golden mass followed suit.

"B-Brother?" He finally whispered after what seemed like ages. Edward's entire being froze as the familiar words berrated him, coming out of the complete silence. As the realisation seemed to settle in, Edward slowly opened his eyes. The golden orbs connected with his armoured knees, and cautiously made their way up to his own empty ones. Alphonse choked as he finally took in the entire picture of his brother, staring into his eyes. This wasn't what he wanted to find. After six months of searching, Alphonse didn't want to find his brother, completely wiped of all being, curled up on the floor in fright of him! Yet this was what he found. It looked like his brother's eyes were wetting, something that his own couldn't do. His brother was in pain, and it pained Alphonse to see him that way.

"L-long time no see,"Alphonse chuckled lightly, trying to bring some air to the room that suddenly grew so dense. However, there were somethings that couldn't even be laughed about. Edward choked suddenly and shot out from underneath the sink so quick that Alphonse didn't even know what happened until he was lying back on the ground with his brother on his chest, grabbing onto him so tightly it seemed that his chest plate just could have ripped off. Sobs could be heard from around the room and it shocked Alphonse greatly. It wasn't something his brother did. It was something he could do, but he didn't, yet now he was. His brother's body was shaking so terribly that it rattled his armour plating.

_"I'm so-orry. I-I'm s-sorry,"_ he heard him mumble over and over again. Alphonse stopped when he heard this as it was this time that he finally caught sight of what laid ontop of Edward's head. Two golden cat ears to match the golden fur, now identified as a tail. Yes, something indeed did happen to his brother, but worst of all, he saw it happen. Alphonse let out a sudden breath as he remembered his day dream he had so long ago of his brother in the gate. His brother was holding a golden cat with him as he stood before the Truth. It was real, it was all real. And Alphonse didn't do anything to stop it. He had dismissed it as a simple day dream. His brother's mumbling apolgies hit his helmet and snapped him out of his horrifying epiphany. He softly laid his leather hand on his brother's head, who flinched as if trying to get away, but at the same time refusing to let go of his brother. So his hand rested on the crown of his head flattening his ears slightly from the mere size.

"C-Colonel, was this what you meant when you said you... picked up a stray," Alphonse mumbled almost inaudibly. He turned his head back to where the man was standing nearly dumbfounded. The Colonel nodded his head ever so slowly.

"He didn't want me to tell," the man admitted, "and I didn't know how." Alphonse looked back at his brother who was still trembling in his arms. He looked so weak, so utterly frail, not like his brother at all. Alphonse only saw his brother like this once before, that was before he had his automail surgery. What had happened? Was this even possible and how? Edward's determination, something that inspired even Alphonse himself, was gone being replaced by something almost hauntingly horrifying; fear. His brother was lost, mumbling his apologies to him as if this was some self fault. In reality, it was anyone but his.

"Y-You stupid i-idiot," Alphonse muttered to him. Edward jerked his head up, eyes wide and ears alert. Alphonse took a deep breath, wishing that he could have cried right then and there, but he couldn't. "W-why are you apologising? Why are you apologising at all? Just..." Alphonse stuttered not knowing what to say as he tried to compose himself. "Just come here, you idiot," he whispered silently as he pulled his brother into a hug. He knew it wasn't a very comfortable hug, him being of armour and all, but he didn't care. If he could feel his brother only once in his life, it would be now. So he was trying as hard as he could to do that, to hug his big brother and know what it was worth. Alphonse wished he could cry, because he knew that he would never stop. Edward tensed at the hard embrace, but he didn't fight it like the Colonel had said. In fact, Edward blindly returned it, making Alphonse's mind sadden even more for he couldn't feel the desperation in his brother's embrace, but he knew it was there.

"A-Al, I-I thought they... I thought I wasn't-" Edward choked, but he wouldn't let him go any farther.

"Brother, I thought the same things," he confessed, "I am so glad we proved ourselves wrong. I can't believe you are actually here." A sudden sob of relief was heard in the kitchen as Edward broke down again. It had been six months since they saw each other, and Alphonse wasn't expecting to find Edward like this, but holding him even though he couldn't feel it reminded him that it was better than not finding him at all. He didn't want his brother to live in that despair ever again. He didn't know everything, he actually knew very little at all, but he knew that it was something that no one should ever live through. He could imagine how painful a transmutation would have been. If he actually remembered what pain felt like he bet that it would have been ten times worse. What sick people would do this, combine two pure things and turn them into something that couldn't even recognise himself as human? Alphonse remembered Nina and Alexander. Was this reversable? Could they return Edward back to normal? Alphonse looked down at his brother in utter fear. His soft ears, though he couldn't feel them he imagined them as so, slowly rotated under the weight of his leather bound hand. It was so strange. They were alive, a living part of his brother. He no longer had simple tiny human ears but huge fluffy things. Alphonse kind of wanted to laugh at the idea of Edward having a tail, but he couldn't. There was nothing funny about it.

Suddenly Edward shifted a bit and leaned back off from where he was resting on his chest place. The embrace was broken as he sat back and wiped the straying tears from his face as if trying to summon back his old tough demeanor, but it still wasn't enough to shine through. However, as an ever slim smile slowly grew out of the darkness, Alphonse found himself wishing that he could copy it.

"Al, I-I," he choked slightly, "Al, I am s-sorry for making you worry."

"Just shut up. I don't care," he whispered back. Edward had to wipe his eyes again as the tears seemed to be gradually building up again. Alphonse rested his hand on his brother's shoulder, trying his best to keep him from spilling over. Edward flinched only slightly with the contact of his touch but quickly took a huge breath, calming himself down.

"Thankyou," he mumbled not really directing his words anywhere. Alphonse guessed it could have been to Roy for helping him find his brother again, or he guessed it could have been to him for not completely freaking out over the cat ears, but whoever it was too, Alphonse knew that Edward was being completely sincere about it. Alphonse, for loss of words, nodded his head, still in awe that they were together at last. There was a slight pause in which everyone, in the room just took to absorb the moment as if trying to accept that this was the truth. A deep breath could be heard from the Colonel as he was about to say something when the kitchen door suddenly flung open.

"ROY!" an angry voice shouted out from nowhere. Maes stormed into the room with the Colonel's team following shortly behind him, though with less dramatic appeal. It had taken one second for Alphonse to look away from his brother. It took another second for him to realise that his brother was gone again, a kitchen chair tipped over in his wake.

...

Edward couldn't believe that his brother was there. He was really there. He felt the cool metal, he held his armour, and he heard his voice. It was really him. When Alphonse had found him underneath the sink he was terrified that he was going to hate him, to leave him like an unwanted stray kitten. Edward couldn't stand the pressure of just having his brother kneel there and stare at him in silence. That was why he hid. He thought that if he could have prevented his brother from seeing him, he could have prevented the hurt of the situation from reaching him, both of them, but it just made it worse. When he heard Alphonse's upset voice accusing him of being scared of him, he couldn't take it. He was even half relieved that Alphonse had found him. Hearing the pain in his brother's voice killed him even though his own fears still flourished. However, alphonse wasn't mad, he wasn't angry like he expected. Alphonse was happy and Edward felt everything simply drain away. They hugged, something that they hadn't been able to do in several months, and they talked, and Edward eventually broke down but he didn't care. He was with his brother again. Though Edward was terrified of the physical contact, his mind racing back and forth between reality and the labs, his brother's touch was enough to keep him grounded. Though it still felt restraining, it felt suffocating, and in his mind it hurt, when Alphonse put his hand on his head it was different. Edward knew that hand, the smell of the old leather, the weight of the metal. It was all familiar to him. He remembered their travels and goofing off in Resembool during his rehabilitation. It was all good. It was reassuring. So, though Edward was afraid, he found himself to be deathly afraid, he stayed with his brother because it was one thing he knew was safe.

Their reunion was unfortunately cut short by a terribly loud bash. The room had been so quiet, the breathing of the Colonel and the little words from his brother just enough for him that when the door swung open, Edward thought it was like a gun going off. He had bolted, leaving Alphonse where he sat, not even knowing what was really going on. A couple kitchen chairs were knocked over in his race and created an even louder ruckus. Edward felt his heart break in the fright. He thought that they were chasing him, scolding him for his disobedience. He had ducked for cover behind the island out of the way of the door and all of the terrible noise. He hoped it was enough. He wished with all of his might that he had out run everybody, but he still heard the voices on the other side of the kitchen argue and scold each other. Edward begged to the heavens that they would just walk away, think him gone, but then his fear was cut short when he heard the familiar tone of Maes Hughes.

"Maes, what are you doing here?" the Colonel asked, sounding completely babbled.

"I am sorry, sir! I tried to keep them waiting outside but-" Benjamin butted in, must having just gotten back from his late night at work.

"But we know what happened," Maes's voice bit in. It sounded full of anger and Edward felt himself cringing underneath its wrath. The fatherly tone was set aside for a few moments as the man released his venom on his friend. "We searched everything and we found enough from what was left over in the hospital to piece everything together. Now, where is he?"

"Maes-" the colonel tried to reply but he couldn't even get a sentence spilled out of him before more enraged voices picked up.

"Colonel, why didn't you just tell us before hand? That was a very stupid thing for you to do. What if something happened and you needed help?" Riza's said stiffly, not giving her superior officer any room.

"We know that he was transmuted. We found unburnt files, and even the circles. Sir, we even found his coat, now tell us what is going on!" Heymans ordered. There was a deep sigh as it seemed the Colonel tried to get his facts in order. Edward felt a deepening pit in his stomach as he deeply wished for everyone to just leave them alone.

"Jean, by the look you are giving me, I am guessing they told you too," the man said more like a statement than a question.

"A fucking cat Colonel! W-Why didn't you tell me the Cheif was..." The man choked as his voice cracked. Edward never heard the man upset about anything before except breakups. This sounded like it had really cut him deep enough to leave a mark. He should have known that Alphonse wouldn't have been the only one this upset. He shouldn't have forced the Colonel to keep everything a secret. He was just afraid that someone might have found out and sent him back to the hospital, back to the labs and the scientists. He was terrified. He never wanted to see those white walls again, he never wanted to feel those men pin him down and restrain him. He didn't want to feel lost.

"I didn't tell you because I couldn't. I sent you on that mission to retrieve some information on the where abouts of the bastards who did this. Learning what happened was for you to find out yourselves so don't accuse me of hiding anything when I was bounded by my word. It was the best I had to offer," the Colonel retorted firmly. Edward flinched at the verocity of his voice.

"Who wouldn't let you tell us?" Kain's small trembling voice asked but no answer was needed. There was a long moment of silence as the answer just washed over them. It washed over Edward too as he found himself slowly standing up out of his hiding place. The voices seemed to lure him into responding and fight him away at the same time. They were so familiar, they were his friends, they deserved to know, yet Edward didn't want to tell them. He couldn't find the words to even begin to explain to try and to fight off the terrible mess of emotions he was probably going to end up in. He didn't want to face them at all so instead, with his mind completely blanked out, his body thought it was better to just show them. As he stood up, the first thing Edward caught sight off was the Colonel being cornered against the wall from his own friend and subordinates. He looked angry at all of them for not understanding, for being so foolish to have demanded him information he couldn't give. It was something that Edward luckily didn't have to face when Alphonse found him. Alphonse was understanding. The second thing he noticed was the complete look of shock arise from the colonel's face as he caught sight of him. Being the only person directly facing him, it was the very first reaction he got. The others slowly followed. One by one, Vato, Heymans, Kain, Jean, Riza, and Maes all turned around to find him there. Their faces contorted into those of complete and utter blasphemy. Edward looked down at the ground, too ashamed to look his friends directly.

"Oh my God," he heard several of them gasp as they got a good look at his new additions. The room went deathly still. The silence rang and it grew like a wild fire and Edward just wanted it to stop. He could feel the burning eyes on him, scorching his ears and lighting his tail on fire. Water welted up in his eyes as if that would be enough to put out the light but he restrained himself. He forced himself to keep his composure down. Yet, the silence bloomed to its fullest capacity. Edward shifted around nervously, waiting for someone to say something, to do anything, but they were all speechless in the sight of him. Suddenly, he heard the creaking of his brother's armour as it crossed the floor to him. Edward looked up to see Alphonse standing next to him. Though he wasn't saying anything, Edward felt a little better with him right there. It made the silence not weigh as much.

"Brother, I think you should say something to them," Alphonse suggested after another really long moment. Edward almost started to think time had stopped. Everyone was so still, almost like breathing statues. However, he had no clue what to say. There really wasn't anything he could say, it was all right there. He shook his head, not brave enough to form any words off of the top of his head. His mouth was glued shut. However, this motion triggered something in the group. Jean, after being released from his coma, staggered over to him one step at a time. Every step he gained Edward tensed slightly, unsure of what the man was thinking. It was just like Jackson, quiet and unexpecting. Soon the man was standing right over him staring him down. Two holes burnted into the top of his head where the man was looking. Edward focused his vision to the floor, not wanting to look the man in the eyes.

"_So close, we were so close,"_ he heard the man mutter under his breath. It sounded wet like he was fighting back a storm. _"I-I'm sorry, Cheif, I am s-so sorry,"_ he repeated. Suddenly Edward found two arms wrapping around him and pinning him down. His breath started to pick up as the arms seemed to be suffocating him though they weren't getting any tighter. He could almost feel them tackling him to the floor and forcefully restraining him. Edward tried to tell himself that it was just Jean but his mind and body wouldn't calm down. Breaths were being drawn in with a heavy effort, too fast, and all too little. Before it was too late, Edward shoved the man away from him, forcing himself out of his grasp. He staggered a few steps away and sucked in the much needed air. It refilled his lungs and he greedily gulped in more, calming himself down. However, Jean was left by himself, barely sustaining his composure. The tears were over flowing against his will as he tried to restrain himself from breaking down. Edward's eyes widened. _"I-I am sorry," _the man sobbed one final time.

"S-S-Stop," Edward found his own voice spill out. Jean's head snapped up th instant the sound hit his ears. The pressure of the room seemed to push down farther on him and Edward took a step backwards from the man, his back hitting against Alphonse's armour. He found his ears pressing against his head in an attempt to drown out the monsterous silence. "S-S-Stop, ple-ease. I'm s-sorry. D-Don't cry."

"Brother-" Alphonse started softly but stopped. Jean looked very taken aback as if he didn't know what to do. The tears were spilling down his face but they were silent like he wanted to stop and cry at the same time. He tried drying his face with his sleeve but it did little for his efforts, however the confidence seemed to return. Jean nodded his head and straightened himself out, forcing himself to stand taller.

"Th-thank you," he mumbled. Suddenly a hand landed on Jean's shoulder. Maes was standing right behind him. Edward tried to take another step back but his back was already pushing against Alphonse's armour. Maes shone a small barely noticable smile at him. It was there, it was relieved, but it was full of pain that Edward could hardly miss.

"I am glad you are safe Edward," he said, his fatherly tone carefully returning. It wasn't obnoxious like it normally was, but it was enough. After the man said this, he looked down to the struggling Jean. "I think we need to talk about everything we found," he suggested, turning Jean away and leading him across the kitchen. Edward caught the couple of knives he sent at the Colonel who was still standing frozen in the corner. He wanted to go over to him but he shook the thought off. On a normal day Edward would have been snapping pictures seeing the man in such shock, but now all he could do was watch. Maes gave out a couple orders to the others even though they weren't his subordinates and slowly everyone filed out of the kitchen through the swinging doors. They each took one glance behind them, a longing look to stay there with him, but soon they were all gone. Maes snapped at the Colonel and half dragged him out of the door and into the dining room, leaving the room abandoned. A breath caught in Edward's throat as he watched the Colonel disappear out the door. He waited for a second and then another, but the man didn't return. The sudden crowd that had once occupied the room and seemed to close in on him, crushing the valuable space away, was now gone and in its place stood even more silence. Edward's mind skipped a beat as an image of a golden man walking out a door hit him. Would they ever come back? Did they leave because, because he was a cat? Were they ashamed of him for failing so terribly? The silence was killing him. Edward found himself stumbling and racing towards the swinging door that they disappeared out of. He needed to make sure. He didn't want them to go. However, just before he got to the door a arm stuck out and caught him, stopping in his tracks. Edward jumped back a foot trying to avoid being restrained but his way was still blocked.

"Sir, they are just going to discuss a couple things that they found," Benjamin told him softly. He was still in his work suit and looked rather tired. Edward glanced past him however at the quiet door, longing for it to open. "It was a mission they were on, they have some business to take care of. I know it is all confusing but we just need to let them be for a moment." Though Edward knew that the man wouldn't let him past, he couldn't seem to make himself turn away from the door. His eyes were glued on it and wouldn't stray. He just didn't want them to leave. Benjamin bent down slightly, centering himself in the middle of his line of sight and severing the connection he had with the door. A genuine smile was placed on his face.

"Master Elric, would you care to help me make dinner? I am sure that everyone will be staying and Mustang's cooking will never do. Your brother was willing to help me as well," the man offered. Edward's ears perked up at the suggestion. Dinner; it meant that they would all be staying after all, or atleast hopefully. He leaned over and took another look over the man's shoulder. The door was still closed and he heard murmers from hushed voices coming through it. They were still there, just not here.

"Brother?" he heard Alphonse's voice call out. His ears swiveled as he picked the noise up and he turned his head away from the door to where Alphonse was waiting patiently behind him. He nearly forgot that he was there so when he saw him it took all of his efforts to restrain himself from tackling him to the ground again or bawling his eyes out. With a deep breath to calm his nerves, Edward slowly nodded his head.

"Excellent! I think we should start by scrapping the stew. I think a fresh pot should do," Benjamin cheered as he lead Edward back over to the island. Edward took one last glance behind him to the door before he was planted in a tall seat around the counter next to his brother. Benjamin set a couple measuring cups and bottles infront of him and gave him a small cook book to read out of before handing a couple cutting boards and knives to his brother.

"Alright sir, just measure out these while your brother cuts. We will have this stew ready in no time. Oh, and Alphonse, could you please make sure your brother doesn't eat any of it? Especially not the onions, they make him sick," the man said calmly as he turned around and picked up a giant pot of the Colonel's stew to dump it in the sink. They were starting a new.

"Wait, why can't he have-"

"I-I'm a-a cat, A-Al. I-I can't have th-the same things," Edward mumbled, slightly wishing his brother never needed the answer in the first place. There was a short unbearable silence before he heard the creak of Alphonse's armour head nodding. The chopping of the knife slowly began afterwards as his brother chopped the sweet smelling onions. Edward picked up some salt and started to measure out the spices. It was hard for him to keep his hands steady when all they could do was shake and tremble but after several minutes he managed to make a full measurement with only a quarter of the spices spilled on the table. As they cooked,the room fell into a rhythmic silence. The chopping of vegetables, the clanking of silverware, the slight hum of Benjamin as he got out a couple pots and packs of meat, it was all comforting. Edward felt himself relax as the simple concentration of measuring vegetable oil took over and seemed to drag him away from everything. He just looked up a number and filled the cup. Alphonse handed over some of his chopped assortments for him to measure. They were all so perfectly cut into little cubes. Alphonse was always the chef of the family. Though he couldn't taste, he sure knew how to cook. On the few times that they actually made food for themselves when they were out on their travels Alphonse would always make some really good dishes especially stew. Edward's heart dropped when he realised that he probably wouldn't be able to taste them again since he couldn't eat any of it. He let out a sigh as he dumped some onions into a bowl and set it off to the side. Suddenly he heard the squeaky kitchen door swing open and his heart skipped a beat. He spun around in his chair hoping to find everyone coming back in but it was only Riza. She poked her head through the door not even stepping into the room.

"Alphonse, would you please come in here for a moment? There are some things we would like to talk to you about," she asked. Edward stiffened as he found his brother nodding his head and slowly standing up to leave. He didn't know what to do. Alphonse was heading out the door only a small wave to be left. Edward quickly jolted up out of his chair to try and to catch his brother, stop him before he left him completely, but it was too late. Alphonse was already out the door which swung giving him small and fading pictures of what lied beyond. He saw everyone out in the dining room for a split moment, solemn faces staring at each other. The door shut cutting him off from everything. The kitchen now was plundged into a permanent silence, the squeaking of Alphonse's armour and the chopping of the vegetables gone. Out of desperation, Edward scurried over to the door, half expecting it to be opened once more for everyone to come flowing back in but it wasn't. It stayed closed and Alphonse was gone. _He's not gone just in another room! You know he would never leave you. _But he did leave. With out a word Alphonse left him. Edward slowly reached out to push the swinging door even the faintest bit open, just so he could see them and make sure.

"Edward, give them some time," Benjamin scolded him lightly, ruining his plans. At first Edward didn't want to listen but Benjamin persisted. He slowly lowered his arm from the door, yet he didn't turn away. "Edward-"

"I-I know, Benjamin... I know," Edward mumbled.

...

Roy weaved his fingers together and rested them underneath his chin as he looked around at his subbordinates. They all looked fear stricken, worn, and tired from their adventures in the hospital. Even Kain, the youngest of the group who had never gone into a real battle before in his life had that familiar gleam in his eye. It was one that only shone when he saw something he deeply wished that he hadn't and it still hung in his eye like a ghost. The evidence and atricles that his subordinates had found were laying on the dining room table, spread out like a display of Roy's stupidity. Edward's bright red coat sat ontop of the pile like a flag. Heymans set one of the files that they found infront of him. It was terribly singed around the edges and covered in ash but it was still legible. Roy was amazed at how much they retrieved when they told him that the scientists had burnt everything. He would have known more over their telephone connection if only he hadn't had to cut the conversation short for Edward's bath.

"This is the logs that the people kept of the experiments... Roy we found Edward's," Maes told him.

"It's dated and everything. A couple notes and descriptions are placed and also some perscriptions of certain injections... everything," Vato added.

"Except for specific names and of the victims," Roy noted as he saw that Edward's name, rank, or title never appeared anywhere. He flipped through the pages slowly and carefully, going over everything to absorb the most detail as possible.

"Yes, I am afraid that they are somewhere else. We figured it was Edward with the dates of his capture and his escape. His coat was just an extra measure Riza found," Heymans said.

"Did you find anything on where these bastards might have run off to?" Roy asked. Looking up from the file he saw everyone give a slow shake of their heads. Fire breathed out of his nose as he tried to keep himself calmed down. They found nothing. He had no leads. The scientists could have been anywhere, in Central, half way across the country, anywhere. It was all his fault, he should have been on top of things. He should have been able to go on that mission, he should have sent them out sooner.

"Sir," Riza's calming voice came out. Roy sighed to himself, cooling off his own guilt as he looked up at her. Her eyes were tired and worn like they were after Ishval. He should have told everyone what happened. He shouldn't have promised Edward to keep it quiet. The realization nearly destroyed them all. He could see it. They all had this tired hung look to them; drooping shoulders and blank stares. He bet that he looked the same way. "We managed to find a couple names that we could look into. They are simple signatures and I doubt that they used their real names but it is worth a shot. However, I suggest that we ask Edward what happened. He could give some descriptions, details, something-"

"He isn't ready," Roy huffed, picking up the file again to continue skimming it. "He only told me the basics when I first found him. From what he told me, I think the government is trying to create some sort of bioweapon or something. Jean you brought in the list of possible places just a few days ago and... it is highly possible that the government is funding the hopsitals to create them. And-"

"They are picking off the people who get too close. I have the list of soldiers who went missing and they all seem to be the ones sent to investigate the previous abductions," Heymans added. Roy nodded his head.

"I could get very little information out of Edward though. I asked about something just this morning and he wouldn't budge."

"No offense, Sir, but are you going about this the right way? I mean he's stubborn so you shouldn't-" Fuery started but Roy stopped him.

"He... is stubborn that's for sure, Kain, but... he's not the same. You saw him in there. He's scared and I...," Roy started but stopped. He was going to say that he only managed to scare him even more but that was what caught him. Several times, Edward had been frighted, scared to death of just looking at his face. It took him forever to calm down and Roy was worried that his subordinate truly was afraid of him. However, whenever Edward took a double glance at him that seemed to trigger the kid to relax. Something about him must have reminded Edward about someone in the labs, but what it was exactly, he didn't know.

"Sir-"

"Someone in the labs must look like me," Roy muttered. The room grew quiet and everyone stared at him. "Edward, sometimes gets these sudden reactions when he sees my face. He gets frightened beyond beleif and is always afraid that he is going to be taken back. I always manage to make him realise it is me but... one of the scientist must look similar, the same hair, same nose, same jaw, something. They must look like me."

"The Chief's scared of you?" Jean asked and Roy nodded his head.

"He's tramatised," he anwered. Roy started to skim the papers again. It was like reading a journal all about Edward. He felt like a child trying to read a girl's diary, but this time it held information that he didn't want to see. However, he caught several strange events. Water Behavioral Treatment? He skimmed down the papers and saw that it happened nearly every week that he was there. The pattern seemed to grow longer and in the end more frequent to the point that he was having nearly three a day. What was it exactly? Was that the reason he hated water so much? Edward could barely even take a bath a few hours ago. The shower seemed tortorous. Roy made a small note to himself to look into that. He didn't know if he would find anything useful, but it surely would be worth a look. If this was what hurt his subordinate, he was sure going to have to burn those bastards who gave it to him to a crisp. Another thing caught his attention. It was labeled as an injection. The strange foreign substance appeared once a week through the beginning but after the marked and dated transmutation, it stopped. The substance just dropped off of the map and never returned. What was it?

"Vato, what is Alecerium?" he asked trying his best to pronounce it. The officer looked at him curiously as if trying to translate what he said.

"That is the drug issued by the government to give rogue State Alchemists in their capture. It was issued in 1888 and it is of very low production, not given to civilians at all. It's special chemical arrangements are able to block the transfering of tectonic plate relation and therefor inhibit the alchemic flow in the user. It is used so that strong alchemists can't escape when they are taken in, especially dangerous ones. I think the only use of it now is for the rogue Crimson Alchemist," Vato replied, practically reading out of the encyclopedia. Roy flipped through the papers again. If Edward's an alchemist, one of the best around, why did they just stop? He surely would have been able to escape if he had use of his alchemy. Edward was a good fighter, he was destructive, what was preventing him from leaving for a full three months since the transmutation? Roy thought about it for a little more and then paused. What if they stopped using it because they had no use anymore? What if he couldn't transmute? Roy hadn't seen Edward even attempt an alchemic reaction since he got there. It could have just been that he had no reason to, or that he was afraid to, but what if he just couldn't do it?

"Get Alphonse, I think he should listen to this," Roy commanded. Riza nodded her head and stood up to go fetch the young Elric. Roy found his foot tapping furiously against the ground as he waited. The silence was murderous. Soon Alphonse came clanking into the room. He stood awkwardly in the corner of the room and waited for him to say something. Roy would have offered the kid a seat but the boy was too large to fit into any of them. Everyone in the room tensed slightly, not knowing how to tell Alphonse any of the news that they found. Roy sighed to himself as he prepared for the long induction of Edward's brother.

"Alphonse, we have some files here that I think you would like to look over," he said pushing the large folder towards him. Alphonse slowly approached the table, slightly trembling, and leaned over to look a some of the contents. Roy continued, "We found some of his items," he added, reaching over and handing the boy Edward's worn jacket. The kid grabbed it, in shock as if he would never see its colour again. He rubbed the fabric lightly between his fingers as if he could actually feel it, but Roy knew he couldn't. The room fell silent for a little bit as they let Alphonse gather himself.

"C-Colonel, um, I am glad that you gave this to me b-but what did y-you want to tell me?" he asked softly. Roy stumbled to collect some words together but Maes luckily was able to peice everything together for him and stepped forward.

"Alphonse, we have not been able to find a solid trace of where the scientists escaped off to. They bugged out of the hospital they were working at and these are all of the remains we found that relate to your brother. There are several more files in the car and some pictures of the scene as well. We have a couple names and a slight description of one of the culprits behind this. And there, we have the exact logs that they kept of your brother. they are just notes and times but-"

"You know what happened," Alphonse whispered. Roy nodded his head.

"To some point. This experiment was government run and we are afraid that your brother got caught in something way over our heads. We are going to have to ask your brother to fill in the rest when he feels up to it," Heymans interrupted. Alphonse looked around at everyone for a little bit, studying their solomn expressions. His empty eyes stopping on Roy.

"What aren't you telling me?" he asked. Roy rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the pressure of Alphonse's worry. He didn't want to tell the young boy all of what happened. He couldn't even beging to imagine the brother's shock or worry for Edward, but he had to. There were some things that people needed to know even if it wasn't that nice to tell.

"I have reason to believe that your brother," Roy began slowly, all heads turned to him. "Can't do alchemy anymore."

"What?" Jean bursted out before the shocked brother even could. All of his subordinates looked completely shocked.

"How is that even possible? Everyone can do it, can't they?" Fuery quivered slightly. Roy ignored their questions but focused on Alphonse's reaction instead. The kid was shaking so terribly he thought that the boy would have fallen over at any minute. He looked frozen, unable to comprehend anything. What did he just do telling Alphonse this? The only reason Edward had ever joined the military was because he wanted to get Alphonse's body back, through alchemy. It was then that the full realisation hit Roy. If Edward didn't have his alchemy, he couldn't get Alphonse's body back. He basically declared all of their struggles and goals a complete loss. That all they were trying to accomplish was in vain. Would Alphonse ever really get his body back at this rate? The kid took a slight step backwards as if catching his drifting weight.

"I-I don't understand... he couldn't have...," he started to mumble. Roy felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to find Maes looking at him, a deep glimmer of sorrow flowing through his eyes. Roy had to look away from its intensity.

"It is in the file, Alphonse. I don't know for sure but there is a high possibility that-" he started but suddenly there was a loud clatter from within the kitchen. The door flung open with a loud crack as it hit the wall and a quick flash of blond came streaming into the dining room. It dove out of the way and underneath the table as if ducking for cover. Everyone froze for a moment as if realising what was going on and Benjamin came streaming into the room after the boy.

"Sorry sir, I didn't see him! He-he tried to fill the pot with water and-and-I think he forgot that h-he-" the butler stuttered but Roy stopped him, waving him off with his hand. All of his subordinates were all confused but Roy knew exactly what Benjamin meant. Edward was terrified of running water. How could he scare himself like that?

"It's alright Benjamin," he muttered. Roy slowly scooted his chair out from the large dining table and bent down to look underneath it. Edward was curled up underneath the center of the table shivering beyond belief. His eyes were wide in fear and almost seemed to consume his entire face.

"Edward, Edward," Roy said trying to calm the kid down. The golden eyes shot up again and caught sight of him. Unfortunately, Roy noticed how the gleam of recognition didn't shine. It was happening again. As he tried to get to Edward to calm him down the kid let out a tiny yelp at the slight movement and scurryed out the opposite end of the table. Roy looked up to find the kid pinned tight against the window, eyes darting around at everyone in the room like he expected them all to lash out and attack him. His ears swiveled trying to pick up on any movement or sound but it was in vain. Everyone was stuck in their place, too shocked to move in fear of scaring the kid any more. Roy wanted to go and help him, make him realise that it really him, but Alphonse was already over there. His brother looked like he was going to run again but he didn't. Instead, Edward stopped inmid step and stared dumbfounded at his brother, like he was finding him again for the first time. Edward didn't move a centimeter as Alphonse cautiously stepped closer to him, eventually reaching out for him.

"Brother, please, just calm down. No one here is going to hurt you, you're safe," Alphonse told him quietly as if not to upset him. Edward took a step away as if not believing him at all.

"A-Al," he started, shaking in disbelief.

"Sir?" Fuery's voice came out shaking. The young soldier whose rank was far surpassed by everyone in the room was staring wide eyed at the skittish Elric. Fullmetal was kind of his role model, everyone knew. Kain was always one of the more timid kids in his group but Fullmetal wasn't. The red coat and kick butt attitude stuck out like a sore thumb and Roy always noticed how Kain always got a little braver when he was around. But now, the kid had lost everything that made him Fullmetal. Kain now looked like the stronger soldier as Edward quivered at the end of the room with no where to run. The golden eyes shot over to the young seargent and locked on for a good long time. He took hold of everyone in the room, staring at Vato, Heymans in turn. Roy counted off the clicks as the sudden shock started to make Edward recognise and remember where he was. Jean almost fell over crying again when Edward glanced at him. As the stare passed around the room, they landed on him. Roy stiffened slightly as the frightened eyes bore into him. What if he just scared him again. But Edward didn't move, he just stared at him longer and longer until finally Roy's black eyes were caught in the golden stream. The eyes afterwards quickly moved on as if nothing happened. Roy felt a huge weight lift off of his chest as he let out an invisible sigh. He looked back at Maes who nodded his head, finally understanding what Roy meant of Edward being scared of him. Maes gave him a heavy pat on the back for support and Roy looked back at his frightened subordinate. Edward was back in his brother's arms, grabbing a hold of the metal chest piece for an anchor. Everyone started to relax a little and take their chairs seeing as Edward wasn't going to dash off again, however they all watched him with alert eyes. The silence of the room dragged on as the brothers just stood there with each other. Edward's eyes were gazing off blankly gradually transitioning from wide horror stricken to a lowered acceptance. Roy caught them glancing over to him once and a while as if to make sure he was still there or who he thought he was. It seemed like ages until the two of them even began to move again, but unfortunately it was Alphonse who spoke first.

"Brother, do you mind if I ask you a question?" Roy heard Alphonse asked softly. He would have expected Edward to not reply or to decline but Edward shook his head, not having the heart to deny his brother in anything. Roy knew what the younger Elric wanted to know, and he did too, but he feared the answer greater than anything. "Brother, can you still do alchemy?" Edward froze for a moment, eyes widening in the sudden fear. It was as if he was anticipating this to be asked and was trying to avoid the inevitable. Yet, he ran right into it. His body seemed to stiffen to the point where it seemed to be made out of ice and the little colour left in his ivory skin was quickly drained. Roy could see the gears in his head practically stop.

"Alphonse...," Edward stuttered after a long pause. His voice was shaking slightly and his body soon followed, the tremors coming in faster and quicker. "I-I..." he tried to talk but it seemed like he just couldn't make anywords. Edward's tail flickered once as his ears flickered slightly in the discomfort.

"Brother?" Alphonse urged him softly but Edward quickly took a step away from his brother. Roy noticed his breaths were starting quicken. He feared the boy was going to have a panic attack. It wasn't the first and probably wouldn't be the last.

"I-I-" he continued to stutter not able to do anything else. Edward ran his fingers through his wet hair as if he was going to pull it out. His breaths quickened and it frightened Alphonse how drastically his brother has changed. He looked insane."N-no! I-I can't!" he muttered to himself angrilly and upset. Suddenly, the golden eyes, snapped up to Alphonse, staring him straight where he knew his soul was locked. Edward's lip trembled terribly as if he was going to break down again. "Alphonse... I-I can't." Everyone in the room seemed to gasp at the same time as Roy's heart nearly broke in two. His guess was true, and he hated it. It meant that the travels and the pain that the two brothers went through were all in vain. Roy found himself collapsing in his seat as his weight seemed to multiply by a million. He shook his head in disbelief and ran a hand through his hair as if trying to grab a hold onto reality. Alchemy was the only shimmer of hope left in that boy's eyes and now, for Edward, it was gone. This couldn't possibly be true, yet it was, the boy had confirmed it.

"B-but, h-how?" Alphonse's hurt voice rang out. "H-How? Edward you couldn't have, it's not possible, we... We still need to get our bodies back. We need to get your body back. The stone... Everything! You can't lose it! You couldn't have! You aren't trying hard enough or something. An equation wrong, a circle miscalculated. Edward y-you-"

"Al! Just listen to me!" Edward shouted suddenly. The air stilled and time seemed to refuse to continue. Edward cowered slightly at the sound of his own words as if they could kill. Alphonse didn't know what to say as they were still ringing in his ears. Edward shook his head and placed them in his hands, the distress piling on him fast. "I can't," he mumbled under his breath.

"H-how, Brother? how is this possible?" Alphonse asked delicately.

"A-Al... animals can't transmute," he answered to the wind, almost inaudible to the human ears. Roy saw the armour sway, its balance tipping gradually. There was a loud thwack as his metal knees collapsed to the ground on their own will. Edward was frightened so much by his brother's loud noise that he fell to the ground like a bomb shell went off and had his head protectively covered by his arms in fear of another loud explosion. The room went absolutely silent and all Roy could hear was the slight trembling and clattering of Alphonse's armour.

"Is this true?" Maes asked above him. Roy looked up to see his friend completely still, the pain racing through every thought in his body. Edward nodded his head, still crouched down on the ground for cover. The emotional shaking of Alphonse's armour was still rattling off of his ears. Roy could see that Alphonse tried to stop himself from making so much noise but he couldn't help it.

"N-no," he muttered, Alphonse not being able to accept the truth. "N-N-No, No! Everything we did... It can't be for nothing! No! Edward, you stupid ass hole! No! I won't accept this, I-I can't!" A sudden urge dragged Alphonse off of the ground and over to his brother who was still huddling to himself for protection. He reached down and picked him up from under the arms, ignoring the fight that his brother was putting up to try and get away, not wanting to be touched. His feet kicked the chest plate as hard as they could, battling for his freedom, but Alphonse wouldn't give it to him. Roy foun himself quickly standing up, worried of what the younger brother was doing. Edward struggled, trying to free himself from his brother's hold which was now dangling him a single foot off of the ground. Alphonse shook him slightly, trying to drag his brother's pitiful attention to him. The golden eyes snapped to him, wide in terror. Edward's ears were pinned tightly down to his head. "I don't care! We are going to get my body back! I will transmute myself if I have to! And we are going to get you back as well! All we did, it can't be for... Edward! We promised each other!" he yelled at him. Roy raced forward and tugged Alphonse's trembling arms back a bit, stopping the brother's attention.

"Alphonse, put him down, you are scaring him," he ordered. A small gasp left his helmet as he turned back to his hanging brother. Breaths were being drawn in quick and short as if Edward couldn't breath. He was completely frozen stiff, having given up on his fight a while ago. Alphonse seemed shock in the realisation that he didn't move. Roy had to practically pry his grip off of his brother. The emotional distress of Alphonse could be seen gradually building up inside of him. It looked like he wanted to cry but he couldn't. It wasn't possible. Edward had dropped pathetically to the floor when Roy got Alphonse's grip off of him. The kid was a statue, sitting on the floor looking up wide eyed at the both of them. His ears were still flattened out on the top of his head and his tail was tucked tight and close to his body.

"B-Brother, I-I," Alphonse stuttered trying to find the words in his lost mind. Roy guessed that Alphonse had never dealt with anything like this before. He had never truly frightened his brother to death except for the little pranks people pull now and then. They were all dealing with a whole new Edward, one that they had never seen before and no one knew how to deal with it. Edward turned his head slightly down to the floor and a noise seemed to escape out of him that Roy had only knew existed recently. It sounded like Edward was trying hard to choke back a sob. Tears had already started to streak his face even though he tried his hardest to dry them off.

"Alphonse, I-I'm s-sorry. I'm so-orry," he cried, anything above a whisper. "I-I should have- I-I should h-have-"

"You did all you could-" Riza started in as everyone got a bit closer to the breaking down Elric. The boy just shook his head violently and warded off their words of forgiveness.

"N-No! I-I was so close. I-I was s-so close t-t-to escaping. I-I was r-right there a-a-and," Edward sobbed uncontrollably, "I w-was fighting a-a-and I gave u-up. I-I am sorry, I'm sorry." Everyone didn't seem to breath in the moments that the boy was talking. They all stared at him like in an instant they would all wake up from a nightmare and it would all be gone. The boy shivered, his head hung low that no one could really see the pain on his face. Jean took a slow step towards the kid.

"W-were you the one that broke that window into the stairwell of the hospital?" he asked, Roy amazed that the man could remember such detail. Edward nodded his head before he burried it in his arms, pulling his knees into his chest. Jean tried to keep himself together but Roy found him briskly walking out of the room to save what little dignity he had left. Benjamin followed behind him, afraid to leave the man alone at such a terrible time. Edward didn't move at all, instead with Jean's absence Roy caught him shuddering even more as if he expected this to happen. Suddenly, a red coat was dropped down over Edward's shoulders. Roy looked up to see that Riza had grabbed the kid's worn jacket off of the table and set it over him. Though it was just a piece of fabric, Roy thought it made the kid look bigger, even by a little bit, like the cowering form of his subordinate suddenly grew just a couple centimeters. Feeling the weight, Edward's eyes ever so slowly looked up. They connected with the bright scarlet fabric and stayed there for what seemed to be an eternity.

"Edward, you did escape though, which means you didn't stop fighting. We will fix this, we will get you back to normal even if the path isn't that clear," she told him kindly. It was a tone that Roy rarely heard come out from his subordinate before. It was motherly. Edward didn't look up at her, his vision was locked on his coat. His fingers reached out and rubbed the fabric gently between them as if testing it to be real. A ghost haunted his eyes that Roy wished he could rip out and throw away forever but then he looked closer. Deep, beyond the foggy outcasts of his mind, there was a spark. It burned only as bright as a match, ready to be snuffed out by even the gentlest of winds, but it was alight and it was burning.

"He hasn't given up yet," Roy smiled to himself, breathing the words underneath the air. No one seemed to hear him but he saw Edward's ear twitch as if it just picked up something it couldn't comprehend. As the faint embers glowed in his eye, the boy slowly slid his arms into the dirty red coat and put it on.

...


	15. A Night's Rest

_**The Tales and Tails of Elric**_

Chapter 15

A Night's Rest

Edward sat in the dim and dusty closet and smelled the foul tasting dish of food. It was the same as it always had been but now Edward really didn't want to eat it even though the sweet and pungent smell was calling for him to have just a little. He hated it that his nose identified something as disgusting as mushed meat to be food while the rest of his being said other wise. Voices came through the floors as the people down in the kitchen talked and ate over the dining table. It seemed to have been ages since anyone was in there for an actual meal, as the table looked old and faded and the Colonel himself didn't even go into that room other than to use it as a passage to the kitchen. But now it was full of voices once again, talking with a business like accord. After Edward's breakdown in the said dining room, Benjamin had excused him with some dinner to help calm him down. The pressure with the office there was just a little too much for Edward to take all at once. He guessed that the Colonel wanted to take it one step at a time but then his investigation team barged in. Alphonse was still downstairs trying to help Benjamin with dinner even though he couldn't eat. Edward had a guess that he wanted to learn or even help out as much as possible so that they could return him back to normal. He sighed to himself and pulled his knees into his chest, creating more room in the small upstairs closet. He pushed the plate of cat food away from him, not feeling very hungry at that moment.

He felt like a fool, a frightened fool who couldn't even withstand the sound of water. It had been so simple, fill the pot with water to boil. It was just part of the cooking instructions. Helping Benjamin just felt so normal, like he had gotten back into the rythem. He wasn't scared, he wasn't confused, he was just following simple instructions. It reminded him of helping mother in the kitchen. However, in his content, he forgot how terrifying the feel and sound of water could be. After that though, it had all been a blur. He remembered loud and banging noises, and then he remembered seeing the Doc's face. He was just so frightened that the mess was a blur. And then, there was Alphonse. His brother, he had nearly forgotten that he was there in his fright. It was like a reunion all over again. But unfortunately, Alphonse decided to ask the one question that he was trying to avoid. He didn't want anyone to know that he had lost his alchemy. He didn't want Alphonse to know how terribly he failed, not just the Colonel's mission, but theirs as well. His brother was counting on him to get his body back. They went through so much already that failure didn't even seem to be an option. Yet, it took only six months for that dream to be destroyed. Edward lost everything, his humanity, his alchemy, and the hope of seeing his brother whole again. He was hoping that if Alphonse never knew, it might not be true, but it was. It amazed Edward that even with this knowledge set in stone, Alphonse still didn't give up. It had been a bump that they never imagined that they would have to over come, but Alphonse was willing to go over it even if he wasn't ready. His brother's fierce determination was so strong that it actually frightened Edward. It made him realise how much his own will power was broken. He couldn't even fight his way out of the hospital until it was too late. It felt like he was finally and utterly defeated. When Riza gave him his coat though, its bright red colour seemed to shock him back to his normal self even for the smallest of seconds. He wore that coat everywhere, it was a piece of him, taken away after the torturing transmutation took everything else, but now he had it back. He had it back. Confidence was ingrained in its velvet colour and Edward felt himself slowly tap into it as he rubbed its soft material between his fingers. Maybe he hasn't fully given up yet.

The door to the closet suddenly opened and Edward was blinded for a couple seconds from the assaulting light. It had been so dark in there that the sudden brightness hurt. He turned away and quickly slid behind a couple of coats to protect himself from the burning lights.

"Edward," the deep voice of the Colonel came out. Edward couldn't see the man's face, the layers of coats blocking the way, but he knew it was him. He slightly wished that the man could just leave him alone so that he could absorb everything that happened that evening but there was a slight shuffle as the man collapsed down on the carpet and made himself comfortable in the doorway. Edward tucked his legs in closer as if he tried hard enough, the man couldn't see him. There was a sigh, "Edward I know you are there, your tail is sticking out," the Colonel said. Edward quickly grabbed the end of his long furry extension and pulled it in out of sight, but he knew it was too late. The man wasn't leaving. He heard a clatter as the man picked up his plate off of the floor and set the unused fork ontop of it.

"Edward, you need to eat-"

"I am not hungry," Edward mumbled into his knees.

"Though you can't eat human food, you still eat like a human, Edward. Three meals a day and you barely had one with everything that happened this morning," the Colonel tried to pressure him but it wouldn't work. Edward wasn't going to eat that stuff no matter how much the man tried. He was tired and exhausted from the entire day and he didn't feel like he could handle anything at that moment, especially the sweet smelling cat food.

"W-what do you want?" Edward muttered through the coats. There was a short pause before anything happened. He felt his ears twitch and flickered slightly but all he heard was the hushed voices of the people down in the dining room.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright, Edward-" the man started but Edward slowly parted one of the coats and sent a small frown at the man. The Colonel caught it instantly and returned it with a weak smirk. "That's what I thought," he chuckled lightly. Edward let the curtain of coats fall closed again. The was a huge wind that came from the Colonel and Edward felt that he could have been blown over by it.

"Listen, Edward, I didn't know everyone was going to come barging in like that. I actually thought they were still on the mission. I thought it was just going to be you, Alphonse, and Havoc. Everyone here was just so stressful, and I didn't mean to put that on you," the man said. Edward started to pick up the end of his red coat again and feel it between his left fingers. It was soft, and warm. The Colonel cleared his throat, hearing no response from him. "I don't want to pressure you into it, but everyone will be leaving soon, would you at least like to come -"

"Th-They're leaving?" Edward asked in disbelief as he parted the curtain ever so slightly to catch the Colonel's face. He nodded shallowly and Edward felt his heart sink. How could they just leave like that? The voices from downstairs seemed to fill the entire house, it wasn't stale or quiet, it was calm and comforting. Though he didn't want to be downstairs with everyone, just knowing they were there made him feel safe. He didn't want that to go away. He didn't want the house to be left quiet again. "Y-You aren't leaving are you?" Edward asked softly. The man seemed to be taken back by the question and a soft flicker of hurt fell through the man's eyes for even a split second. Edward didn't even know that that feeling was in the Colonel.

"No, Edward, I am not going anywhere," the man replied. "For one thing this is my house, another is that I promised you just this morning that I wasn't going to leave you alone again. Have some faith in me, I know I am a bastard but give me some credit." Edward let out an almost inaudible chuckle at the man's joke, earning a smile from the Colonel but it quickly faded as the man seemed to realise what Edward was truly asking. "Edward, they aren't leaving you because of what happened, you should know that."

"Yeah, I-I just...," Edward started but he cut himself off, not really knowing what to say. There was an eerie silence in the conversation in which the sliding of chairs and clattering of plates could be heard from the dining room where everyone was getting ready to leave. Edward felt his gut stiffen. They were going. He wanted to go downstairs to see them, just one last time. Everyone was there. It was six whole months since he even talked to them, yet he didn't want to. What if he got scared again? What if something happened? He didn't want to throw that all on them at once again. That was practically a nightmare in the dining room earlier. He also didn't want to see them go. It was better that they left by themselves. He didn't want to see the door close him off again. He didn't want to feel like that ever. When the Colonel left for work the door closed and he felt like he wasn't ever coming back. The Colonel sighed heavily as he set the plate of nasty food back on the floor.

"I need to go and send everyone off, are you going to come-"

"Don't go!" Edward yipped quickly. The Colonel was slightly taken back for a moment.

"Edward, I already told you I wasn't leaving-"

"Colonel, please," he begged quietly, hating the sound of his own patheticness. The man infront of him leaned back against the door frame as if he was thinking of his best option. Edward stared at him worried that if he looked away even once the man would disappear into thin air. He didn't want to be alone anymore.

"How about this," the man began slowly, "Since I obviously can't gain your full trust in the next ten seconds, you can come downstairs with me and make sure that I don't leave. How about that?" Edward frowned slightly as his ears drew back. He didn't want to go downstairs at all. It was much safer stuck in the coat closet. As Edward faltered to make a decision on what to do, the Colonel shrugged his shoulders and stood up ready to leave. Edward's eyes widened in fear as the man took a step back away from the door. He was leaving, just like his old man. He was going to be gone forever. Edward out of desperation, lunged out of the closet before the man could even start to close the door and latched onto his leg. The Colonel was a bit shocked and nearly tumbled over from the sudden attachment but he managed to keep steady. Edward felt the man try to shake him off a bit and even try to walk, only making a single exhausting step, but he wouldn't let go. The Colonel was going to leave again, why did everyone in his life have to go?

"Edward, you need to let go," the deep voice aggravatingly ordered him. Edward shook his head and held on tight. The man sighed and Edward thought he was going to give up and stay but he was definitely wrong. "Edward, I need to go, but I am never going to stop you from coming with me. You just need to release my leg!" Edward opened his eyes slowly and looked up at the man. His black eyes shone down at him with concern even though the expression on his face looked rather annoyed. Would going down stairs really be that bad if he was able to make the Colonel stay? Edward glanced down the hall the couple of feet where the stairs started and slowly nodded his head. The man gave a breath of releif as Edward carefully released the man's leg, giving him his freedom back. There was a slight motion that snapped Edward's attention from the staircase and he saw that the Colonel was holding his hand out for him. He didn't take it, standing up by himself from the rather comfortable carpetted floors, however, before the Colonel could retract, Edward grabbed a hold of the man's sleeve with his left hand. He looked slightly surprised but he didn't question. Edward wasn't going to let the man leave his grip, let alone his sight. He just wanted to make sure.

"Come on, kid," he gave a cheerful sigh. Edward slowly followed the Colonel down the stairs, carefully and cautiously. The large crowd of everyone was standing at the door and waiting for their last farewells. Several of them looked surprised to see Edward making his way down to them as well. Their eyes strayed on them a little too long and he felt his gut twist under their glare. There was just too many. He was thankful to have his friends there and he didn't want them to even take one step out of the door, but the pressure with all of them in the same room was suffocating. Edward pulled the Colonel's sleeve a little closer. Mustang looked down at him as if worried that he might bolt, but Edward kept his vision straight forward, forcing himself to stay focused. He caught Jean give him a quick and small smile. His face was still red and his eyes were puffy from his emotional breakdown earlier, but Edward was glad to see that he stopped. His heart lightened a bit as the man grinned at him.

"You going to be okay?" he asked quietly. Edward slowly nodded his head in return. His mouth didn't seem to want to talk anymore. However, Jean accepted his answer happily. It seemed to brighten the man's day as much as it could have at that moment.

"Roy, keep in contact with me. I am going to try and find how far up this thing goes in command alright?" Maes said to the Colonel.

"Be careful, Maes," the man replied sternly. Maes gave the Colonel a light puch on the shoulder.

"I was going to say the same thing to you," he laughed, but it was anything but light. As the man was about to turn to leave, his eye caught a hold of Edward. A sad smile grew on his face and he nodded to him in recognition before heading towards the door. It was opened to the cool summer air and quickly shut behind him. Edward felt a hammer go through his chest as the door clicked shut. He just left without a word. He had to be coming back right? Edward found himself race over to the window. He was dragging the Colonel behind him as he refused to let go of his sleeve. The man was stumbling a cursing lightly before they came to a stop. Edward looked through the cool glass and into the dark night. The ground was misty from the days of constant rain now drying. Edward spotted the lone figure of Maes walking down the path from the house to the street where their cars were parked. He felt a great pain in his chest grow and seem to hollow him out as he watched him reach the gate. Couldn't he just turn around? Maes got into his car without even glancing his way. Edward waited, he waited until the car turned the corner but he still didn't look back. There was a mumbled blur hitting his ear as he stared off down the street. It came louder and clearer until he was snapped from his trance.

"Edward!" the Colonel's voice came out sharply. Edward flinched as he spun around, his grip on his sleeve slipping. The voice didn't hurt, it was just harsh, alert, worried on why he didn't respond the first few times he must have been calling his name. However, Edward waited guiltily as the Colonel's black eyes stared him down. After a few moments, they softened slightly as it was assured that he wasn't going to breakdown again. Yet, Maes was gone and he couldn't help but feel... abandoned again. "Edward are you alright?" There was a short pause as Edward translated the Colonel's words. He took a short glance back out the window before he slowly nodded his head. He quickly raced to grab a hold of the Colonel's jacket before he could turn away. His hand grabbed a large chunck of cloth at his shoulder. The Colonel didn't move or fight him off like he tried upstairs. He just gave him a short smile as he turned towards the left over guests. Edward felt his ears twitch slightly in the moment of silence that they were all giving him. All of the team was staring at him, looking slightly upset themselves. It was as if they didn't want to go either. Then why were they? Mustang led him back over to where they were all waiting. Everystep that they got closer to them Edward got stiffer as if his joints might not work anymore. He thought that he heard his automail give a wailing creak. They stopped infront of them and Edward tried to watch all of them at the same time but he couldn't. There was just too many.

"Sir," Riza said, stepping over to the Colonel for a moment. Her face was as stern as normal and though it wasn't welcoming at all, Edward found himself rather comfortable with it, however his hand tightened on the Colonel's jacket as if he was afraid that something might happen to the Colonel instead. "Don't do anything stupid. We will try to do a search for some of the scientists and look through the area to where they might have run off to. Call during office lunch hours. One of us will be in."

"I thought I was the one giving orders," Mustang complained lightly but it was returned with a cruel glare from the Lieutenant.

"Colonel," she said stiffly as if daring him to challenge her once more. The man instantly backed down.

"Yes, Lieutenant," Mustang sighed rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. Edward smiled a little at the man's annoyance. It was just so familiar. Riza nodded stiffly and then turned to Edward. He found himself tensing at her gaze but her eyes suddenly relaxed as they fell on him. She took a step over so she was standing right infront of him and Edward took a little pace backwards, tightening his grip around the Colonel's jacket. Riza, seeing him move, took her own little step back as well as if she was suddenly aware of her intrusion, giving him a bit more room. Edward relaxed a bit seeing this and stared at her curiously.

"Edward, look after the Colonel for me, could you? I think he needs it," she ordered him kindly. Edward was slightly confused as to what she meant until he took a look at the Colonel. Other than looking obviously annoyed with her asking he looked terrible. Huge bags were underneath his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days and there was still a slight bruise from where he socked him earlier. Edward frowned as he finally looked the man over. Was this really all his fault? Was he hurting the Colonel by staying there? A huge wave of guilt washed over him. He knew he was pathetic, but he just couldn't help it. Everything that happened, it was like a second nature that suddenly took control. He knew it was just water, he knew that loud noises shouldn't hurt him, and he knew that everyone leaving wasn't going to be gone forever (at least he hoped), yet he just couldn't take it as fact. For the past few months he had to live in complete solitude with no hope for salvation, he was stuck in the silent waiting for the next experiment or diagnostics, and he was tortured with the loud cracking noises of whistles and claps as well as the cold suffocation of the hose. When he finally was free, when he didn't have to worry about his next evaluation or punishment, that was when he was afraid the most. That this small window of freedom, of wavering peace of mind, would all come crashing down. He was afraid to actually lose it forever. It was an instinct and a constant fear that over took him and he didn't feel like he trusted everyone enough to take their word as true facts. But was his terrible fear really hurting the Colonel? His violent reactions to everything sometimes happened when the Colonel was in the way, especially when all he was trying to do was help. After stareing at Mustang for a few moments longer he looked back at Riza who was still expecting an answer.

"Yes, m'am," he mumbled, nodding his head. The lieutenant smiled at this and everyone in the room seemed to be rather surprised that he actually responded with a full answer. Riza walked over to the door and waited for the others to follow.

"Stay safe, Big guy," Heymans smiled softly. He saluted casually and Edward found himself faltering and debating whether to return it or not. His hand was stuck halfway up in the air and didnt seem to be able to move any further. However, the man seemed willing to take it and grinned back at him. Jean, Kain, and Vato each took their turns saying their farewells, putting in their normal nicknames and jabs in there that they used to say to each other in the office. Jean called him Chief, Kain nervous as ever timidly muttered goodbye, and Vato saluted much more formally than Heymans did even though he knew that Edward couldn't seem to reply. One by one, they gathered at the door, much faster than Edward wanted them to and before he knew it, the door was already closed leaving the house empty and quiet. Edward just stood there in the middle of the entranceway as he tried to bring himself to accepting that they were already gone. Like before he scurried over to the window, dragging the Colonel along behind him. The party of five were walking towards the gate in the misty night. They didn't seem to be talking to each other but rather just walking in silence. Edward wished they were back in the house, just to keep the company and voices at least. However, they walked down the path and slowly opened the gate. They weren't coming back he knew, but he just wished as if all of his mind power could bring them back. He felt the cool pane of the glass press against his face as he watched in anticipation. One by one they filed out through the gate in a single file line and towards the last foreign automobile directly infront of the Colonel's house. Jean turned around to shut the gate behind him but suddenly looked back up at the house. He raised his arm to him and waved happily to him. Edward found his voice catch in his throat as he slowly lift his hand to mimick him. In that moment he saw that the tension and pressure everyone must have felt in the house, wash away. The man was truely happy. They weren't leaving because of him. That wave gave Edward hope that they would infact return. Something wet rolled down his cheek as he watched Jean step into the car and close the door. The sound of the engine roaring was nearly deafening as the vehicle putted down the road and out of sight. Edward kept his eyes glued on the street even when his vision of the vehicle was long gone. He new they had left, and he accepted that, but he felt himself already waiting for their return.

Suddenly, the grandfather clock softly chimed ten in its dreary melody. Edward looked back to where it sat in the corner but suddenly froze. Something wasn't right. He looked around for a moment and then down at his left hand. The Colonel was gone. Edward's heart nearly stopped. He didn't even feel himself let go of the man. He was supposed to be watching him, making sure he didn't leave, but he was gone. He left him again! Edward jolted up from where he was leaning against the window. How long was he gone? He couldn't have left with the others could he? He couldn't have been gone. A pain filled his chest as he frantically ran through the large house trying to find him. He promised he wasn't going to leave. He said he wasn't going to let him alone again. Water started to welt up in his eyes as he raced through the silent house, searching in all the closets of the living room for him. He couldn't hear anything but his own rapid breaths. The clock had fallen silent after the tenth ring leaving the empty air fill his ears. Edward closed the small closet in the living room and sprinted over to the dining room, his automail making clacks and creaks as it went along. No one was sitting at the table. It was once full but now it was empty as everyone left. His eyes caught the empty chair where the Colonel sat and he quickly looked away. Edward quickly opened the door into the kitchen and saw Alphonse and Benjamin washing the dishes that were left over from dinner. Alphonse looked up from his drying and caught sight of him. Edward heard a small gasp come out from his brother and Benjamin turned around as well, a plain look of shock run over his face that could have probably suited his brother.

"Edward-" they both started but Edward couldn't waste anytime. The Colonel wasn't there. He quickly spun around on his heel and went back where he came from. He raced through the dining room and back into the entrance way before he suddenly heard footsteps walking down the stairs. He quickly looked over to find the Colonel making his way down them, carrying the plate of catfood which they had left in the closet before hand. Before he could even think, Edward was racing over to the man and taking him to the ground. Mustang was luckily finished descending the stairs when Edward reached him as he tackled him to the marbeled floors. The Colonel was very surprised but luckily kept a good hold of the plate so it wouldn't shatter on the ground. Edward grabbed a hold of the man's shoulders and stared at him, both angry and relieved. The Colonel, after getting over the sudden impact of the fall, looked up at him completely confused.

"Edward what are you-"

"Don't do that again!" Edward found himself scolding him. He flinched at the roughness and Mustang did as well. The panicked tears that were once in Edward's eyes were all gone now, and only left a trace of the tracks down his face. He closed his eyes and shook his head trying to calm himself down but it wasn't working. "Y-you said you wouldn't leave a-and... You weren't there a-and, Colonel don't do that!" he tore at him. Edward was actually afraid of himself. He didn't get outright angry in over a few months but that day he exploded twice. If he out bursted or even yelled he was due for some punshment whether it was by the Doc or Jackson. Edward feared what would happen to him if he even tried to curse or tell someone off but now he couldn't keep it in. The words were spewing out of his mouth before he could even think and he knew he was just digging his grave for the punishment later. He remembered his terrible curses he screamed outside of Mustang's door that morning. It was horrible and frightening but he just couldn't hold them in. Now, he was going at it again. Months and months of greif and worry were pouring over him that now, even Edward was wondering where it all came from. When he was finished, Edward stared into the man's completely and utterly baffled eyes. After a moment, when Edward fully grabbed the concept of what he just did, he let out a little shocked yip and jumped off of his superior officer. He took several steps back until he felt himself bump into a wall of full metal. It was Alphonse, he didn't have to turn around to know it was him, but he found himself reach up and pin his ears to his head protectively.

"Brother, is everything alright?" the armour asked. Edward didn't answer as he watched the confused Colonel slowly sit up on the floor with the plate of rather battered catfood. He was staring at him as if he didn't know what to say. His eyes were wide, completely not expecting him to have lashed out so fast like that. Edward felt his doom approach him. He was going to get it for sure, the hose or even the deafening shouts of a whistle or something. He tried to take another step back from the man as he stood up but Alphonse was blocking his way.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I'm sorry. Please, I-I didn't mean... Don't, I'm sorry," he muttered. _Wow you really are pathetic, begging for forgiveness like that. _He had to. He knew he had to though. He didn't want to get punished like that ever again and now he knew it was coming. If keeping his anger bottled up kept him from being hurt, and begging made the pain less, he would do it. He had to. However, as the Colonel drew closer, standing right infront of him, nothing happened. Edward waited and waited for him to do something but nothing happened.

"Edward," his heavy and deep voice said above him, "Don't apologise." Edward carefully glanced up to see the Colonel as calm as ever. He didn't look angry at him for getting upset. Actually, it seemed like he was accepting the accident as his fault. Edward frowned slightly, not having wanted to push the problem on the man. He was just so frantic and afraid that he got angry and yelled at him.

"Colonel, I-,"

"Don't apologise. You have done enough of it today for things that you shouldn't be sorry about. You had let go of my jacket and I hadn't even thought of telling you where I was going. I should have, but I didn't. I am sorry," he told him. It was a rare occasion that the Colonel would apologise like this, and before his abduction six months ago, Edward never actually seen if before. It was strange, he had always pictured the man a bastard; a cold hearted creature who didn't do anything if it didn't benefit themself. However, over just the past few days, he found that definition change so rapidly he didn't even know what to call the man anymore, but whatever it was, bastard didn't seem to fit. Edward found himself able to relax ever so slightly as the Colonel side stepped him and headed towards the kitchen, cutting anymore complaints from him short. That was the end of the discussion. Edward peered around Alphonse's large metal body as he saw the man stop in the dining room doorway. "Edward, you still need to eat your dinner," he said before disappearing around the corner. Edward watched the spot where he disappeared for a few moments, unsure of what to make of anything. He wasn't punished at all, he wasn't scolded, or anything of the sort. It was strange and it was different. Edward felt the expectation slowly drift off of his shoulders as if the air was enough to blow it away.

"Brother-" Alphonse's voice started, snapping him out of his personal trance but before his brother could finish, Edward had darted off towards the kitchens where the Colonel disappeared to.

...

Roy sat across from Edward in the kitchen and stared him down. The boy was glaring at his nasty plate of food as if it would magically just disappear. Every now and then Edward would glance up at him but their eyes wouldn't meet for even a fraction of a second before the fluttered back down to the plate. Edward wasn't eating. Roy was actually pretty worried. It was obvious that the boy was thin. He didn't know what they were feeding him in the labs or anything, but he knew that Edward had lost a large amount of weight even though he still appeared to be relatively healthy. His right automail arm seemed to be twice the size of his flesh one, showing a small amout of muscle loss. Roy needed to get him to eat. The events from that entire day, actually, the entire time since he found him weren't helping at all. When Edward got sick just a couple days ago, that really took it out on him. The kid did eat a few meals while he was here, but nothing like he should, but now it was strange that Edward wasn't even touching his plate at all. Usually, he would have poked at it at least.

Roy sighed to himself as he remembered the scolding he got from the clearly frightened kid. He deserved it. He knew that Edward was afraid of him leaving, but when he had let go of him, he didn't think anything of it. It was only going to be a short trip up the stairs to pick up the plate that they left in the closet of all places, but it was long enough to scare Edward half to death. The kid had exploded on him. Roy just had to wonder how long he was holding that in for. It seemed like a lot more energy was built up into that one outburst than there should have been. Why was Edward afraid of him leaving? He kept telling him that he would be back over and over again but the boy just couldn't seem to believe him. Suddenly Roy realised that Edward was only super attached to him. Benjamin left everyday for work and though Roy could tell that Edward didn't like it, he let him go. When he left to just go to the office for a couple hours, Edward panicked. He called the office even when he wasn't there to see when he would be coming home. Alphonse just got there, but as much as Edward was attached to his brother, it wasn't the same. Sometimes Roy wished that the kid hated him, like usual. Before the whole ordeal, Edward wouldn't want to be in the same room as him at all. He would call him bastard and storm out of the office in an instant, only staying as long as he had to to get his orders. However, something in him, he didn't know what yet, made him glad that Edward had chosen him to be attached to. Yes, it was a hindrance for any attempt to get work done and Roy had a feeling that he wasn't capable of even looking after the distressed boy, but he didn't know how he would have faired out if he was in the same situation and Edward absolutely despised him. However, the distressed and upset cries that the boy had made when Roy had done the foolish mistake of trying to leave everything all behind and lock himself in his room made him realise how much Edward was relying on him. Did Edward, even Alphonse, ever had anyone to rely on like this before? Roy knew he wasn't really up for the challenge, but the best thing he could do was try.

Edward was still staring at his plate as Alphonse and Benjamin finished cleaning up the leftover dishes from dinner. Roy wished that he could just eat it by himself but it didn't look like the boy would be budging anytime soon. He reached across the counter and pushed the plate a couple centimeters towards the Elric. Edward seemed to withdraw the exact distance the plate moved as if not even wanting to go anywhere closer to it.

"Edward you need to eat-"

"I am not hungry," the kid muttered grumpily.

"That excuse doesn't work here, try something else," Roy huffed at him. Edward looked up at him defiantly but only a couple of seconds passed before his eyes shot back down to the plate again. He hated feeding the kid cat food, it was practically inhumane, but they still didn't figure out any other meal that would replace it. It was all that the kid could eat now.

"Brother, you need to eat. You need to keep up your strength," Alphonse scolded him lightly. Edward's ears twitched at the sound of his brother's voice, but he did very little else as he stared down his dinner like it had two horns and an eye.

"I am strong enough," Edward mumbled under his breath as he crossed his arms. Roy rolled his eyes.

"Edward, you lost a lot of weight. If you don't eat enough, your automail is going to give you problems," he told him. Edward turned his head to the side and stared at the wall, not even facing him. Roy could see the scowl crawl lightly on his face. It wasn't tough or mean as if he was afraid to even look that way, but it was there. Roy had noticed that Edward didn't like to get mad at all anymore. The instant he raised his voice or even told someone off he would pull back or practically beg for forgiveness. The angst in Edward's personality was something that made him the defiant teenager of the Fullmetal alchemist. Now he was even scared to show a little bit of it. Roy didn't know what had caused this, or what those scientists did, but he knew that Edward was expecting something bad to come from even the littlest sign of revolt. Edward slumped down in his chair so only his head poked above the line of the table.

"It tastes disgusting," he grumbled barely audible to their ears.

"I know it tastes disgusting but you still have to eat it. Neither of us is leaving here until you eat it."

"Maybe I could finish it if you weren't watching me," Edward said as if it was a snappy retort, but something in his voice made Roy doubt that it was so. It came to him that Edward hadn't eaten infront of them at all. Whenever he did have a short meal, it was when they were all in another room or weren't looking. Apparently when Edward had taken the short little bites of his omelete the first morning, Benjamin had been in his quarters for that fraction of the time. Roy grumbled to himself. If everyone left so he could eat, he might just have dumped it in the garbage bin. How could he get him to eat? More importantly, eat infront of them. As Edward sank lower in his chair until only the ears were poking above the counter, Roy pulled the plate over and centered it inbetween them. At this sound, one of the golden ears twitched and Edward curiously poked his head above the countertop island. They stared at eachother for a short few moments as if daring the other to move. Roy looked down at the nasty mush and picked up the fork. He split the pile of shit down the middle and shoved one half of it onto one side of the plate and the other to the other side. The cut wasn't perfectly even so he made sure to put the larger pile on the side towards Edward. Even though it was only a little bit. He needed to make sure the kid ate as much as possible.

"There you only have to eat half of it," he offered, shoving the plate back over towards him. Edward frowned as he lifted himself back properly in his seat.

"You are just going to have me eat the rest of it afterwards," he said.

"No I won't-"

"Yes, you will," Edward retorted not even letting the man finish. Roy grumbled to himself under his breath. Yes, he had to admit that he hoped to get Edward to eat the entire thing.

"Edward, why aren't you eating?" Alphonse asked his brother. Edward flinched as a look of guilt washed over him. It was like finding a child who tried to steal a cookie.

"I told you already. I am just not-" Edward started but a loud gurgling cut him off. Roy grinned and he caught Benjamin doing the same. The kid was hungry, probably starving actually, but he still refused to eat. The suit of armour sighed in disbeleif as he dried and stacked another plate. Roy looked between him and the defiant Edward as it dawned on him. Edward didn't want Alphonse to know he ate cat food. He also probably didn't want anyone watching him eat it too. Roy hoped that Edward knew that no one would think differently of him if he ate it but then again, Edward was the only one who had to. It was a stupid idea as Roy stared at the plate set before his subordinate, but he begged that it worked. He got up from his chair and opened one of the silverware draws, pulling out an extra fork. Edward turned around in his seat, his golden eyes trained on him with curiousity. Roy grumbled as he plopped down in his own seat across from him and pulled the plate back to the center of the table, spacing it evenly between them. His subordinate's ears were perked up on his head, carefully listening to his every move.

"Alright, lets make a deal, Equivalent Exchange," Roy grinned. He knew that Edward couldn't do alchemy anymore, but the kid's principles of living were something so strong he doubted that they would ever be washed away. Showing he was right, Edward gave an ever so slight smile, as faint as it ever could be, and leaned forward, closing the distance between them and also the plate of food. Roy pointed his fork at the plate, making the kid's gaze fall down to it for a second. "Every bite of food I eat, you will take one too. I split it in half so it doesn't matter how big the size is. If my side is gone, yours must be too." Edward stared at him questionably for a few seconds as if wondering that he would actually go through with it. After a couple seconds however, the kid gave a shallow nodd. Roy motioned for him to pick up his fork. It was as if he almost forgot it was there as Edward fumbled to take a hold of it. His grip was terrible like he hadn't used a fork in ages and was relearning how. _Why would the scientists give him a fork?_ Roy nearly slapped himself at the stupid realisation. Edward looked up at him expectantly and waited for him to begin. A pit grew in his stomach as he looked down at the mush that was supposedly called cat food. Why they even called it food, he would never know, nor wanted to find out. _What did you get yourself into now?_ He slowly dipped his fork into the slop and pulled up a reasonable sized bite. As he lifted it up, his nose caught a wiff of the nasty stench that came off of it. Supposedly he made a face at it because he heard a chuckle from Benjamin as he and Edward's brother stood watching him. Now he knew how his subordinate felt. Everyone was watching. Roy closed his eyes and quickly slipped the fork into his mouth. It was bland, like dull watery gravy. Overall it wasn't as worse as he expected it to be but it definately wasn't good. He forced himself to chew it, as there were little pieces of unknown substance (probably a meat substitute) and he swallowed it. A shiver ran down his back as he felt it go down. Everyone chuckled a bit, even Edward, as they watched his reaction. Yes, Edward wasn't lying when he said it was disgusting. In fact, Roy wouldn't think twice about going as far to say putrid. As he tried to get the nasty taste out of his mouth, he pushed the plate across the table.

"Your turn," he groaned. Edward's grin slowly fell as he realised that it was his turn. He stared at it contemplatively for a few moments and Roy was afraid that he was going to back out for a second, but he shakily brought his fork down and took a scoop at it. He was very awkward at holding the fork and he gripped it so tight that his knuckles were turning white. The forkfull he took was large, quite larger than his own but the boy was trembling so much with the fork, having lost the delicate balance of using utensils, by the time it got to his mouth it was cut down to size. One thing that Roy noticed was that the kid didn't flinch at the smell of it like he did. Edward just popped the fork into his mouth and pulled it out nice and clean. It was obvious that the taste pained him, but not as much as it did him. The kid grimaced as he swallowed it and quickly pushed the plate back over towards him. As Roy took another fork load, he had the slight feeling that he would not be able to finish, however he wouldn't let that be an option. He needed Edward to eat. If that meant that he had to chew his own way through a pile of cat food, then so be it. He ate his next fork full and quickly shoved the plate back over towards Edward as he tried to avoid gagging.

"I can see your problem with it," Roy choked as he saw Edward attempt to balance another bite on his fork. "That stuff smells as disgusting as it tastes."

"I-I can't smell it l-like you do," Edward mumbled as he tried to lift his fork with his wobbling hold. It was all in vain as the lump of catfood fell down and splattered on the plate. Edward tried to pretend he took a bite and pushed it back over towards him but Roy threw him a look and the kid quickly withdrew.

"Well, what does it smell like then?" Roy asked as he watched Edward attempt to put another cluster on his fork but failing.

"sweet... like Honey crested ham," he muttered as he gave up on his fork and took up a small chunk with his fingers. Roy frowned as Edward ate with his fingers but at least he was eating, and even then he was eating infront of everyone. Edward shivered as it went down and Roy found himself chuckling a bit.

"I am guessing your sense of taste didn't change that much either," he noted. Edward shook his head as he rubbed his tounge off of the roof of his mouth, trying to get the nasty taste off of it. Alphonse and Benjamin were waiting patiently for them to finish so that they could be done with the dishes. Roy looked down at the plate that was now infront of him. There were only a bout two bites left. He quickly scooped them both up on his fork and ate them. He nearly tossed everything as he forced it down, but he quickly shoved the plate back at Fullmetal to finish. The kid looked rather bummed out that he took it in such a big bite, him now having to finish the rest, but he ate it anyways. When the plate was fully clean, Edward carefully picked it up and handed it off to Benjamin who let it soak in the tub of water and suds. Roy noticed that the kid quickly backed away from the sink. His tail was tucked tightly between his legs like he was remembering the rather terrifying experience of the bath he had that morning. Roy frowned. This was the state his subordinate was left in and no matter how much he promised to get vengence for it, they were still at a lost lead. Even if he did bring down the scientist and burned those cruel bastards for what they did, could it ever be undone? As Edward backed up a bit more, Alphonse noticed his tension and took a little step to try and block the sink from view with his large armoured body.

"Brother, it's getting late, you should probably get some rest," he suggested. Edward looked rather conflicted and Roy noticed his eyes dart warrily over to him for a few moments. Was he still afraid he was going to leave, again? However, as Alphonse gently stared him down, Edward ever so slowly, started to inch over to the door, his vision not straying from Roy at all. He felt as if the kid was going to burn a hole in his chest telling him to stay put.

"Edward, I we will all be up in a few minutes," Roy told him under his breath. The kid froze as he looked around at all of them once more for good measure, before he slipped out of the kitchen door. Roy could hear his creaky automail fade off and his lopsided steps go with it. His automail had definitely taken some damage from lack of care if anything else. He almost winced at the terrible noise it made before the sound disappeared upstairs. "That doesn't sound good. We are probably going to have to worry about it in the morning," he commented mostly to himself. Alphonse nodded and took the washed plate from Benjamin to dry.

"It only gets that way because of rust. Brother is terrible with matinence and he never dries it well enough when he gets out of the shower. It was just never this bad," Alphonse told him. Roy nodded as he quickly reached up into a counter and pulled down two clear glasses. He quickly filled them with water and set one off to the side for Edward. He knew that the kid probably wanted to wash his mouth out, but he was too afraid to turn the water on infront of Edward to offer him a glass when he was down there. As Roy took a long, rather long chug of his drink, he felt the nasty taste wash away and something dawned on him.

"If your brother is afraid of water, how did he get rusted?" he asked. Alphonse simply shrugged as he placed the dish into the cuboards. Benjamin pulled the plug in the sinks and the dirty water started to drain out of it.

"You would know more about it than I would," he mumbled. Roy let out a huge breath of air while he set his glass on the counter. It sat there with a single clink and the room fell to a short silence.

"Elric, you are giving me way too much credit. I don't know how to handle any of this-" Roy admitted nervously.

"Mr. Mustang, I am not giving you too much credit," Alphonse stopped him. Roy froze in his rant and looked over to where the young suit of armour stood. If he could have placed one feeling on the emotionless piece of metal, he would have labeled it thankfully depressed. "You were never a modest man, so don't start now. What you did, just now with brother, was very kind of you," Alphonse complimented softly. "I-I don't understand what happened to brother, and I-I never dealt with anything like this before. You are probabaly in the same situtation as me, but you are trying, and you are able to help him, and for that I am grateful."

"I was just trying to get him to-"

"But you didn't have to. You didn't have to do any of this. Brother and I have fended for ourselves for a long time. I think that having to get help from people became my brother's weakness ever since our father left. He's too stubborn and upset all the time. He never trusted anyone as much as he did Dad but...," Alphonse stumbled. He was shaking a bit as if remembering all that happened to Edward, not just recently but in the past as well, was all too much for him. All the hell that the two of them went through was an unfortunate set of series that Roy wished he could fix. He even hoped that if he met their father that he would teach him a thing or two about parenting. No, he wasn't a parent nor ever wished to be one, but he had subordinates. He watched over every single one of his subordinates so that one day they could watch his back as well. He bet that it was pretty similar to that. However, Roy didn't watch over all of his subordinates. He let one go off on a mission by himself, and now look where it got him. His strongest member should have been able to handle a simple investigation like this, but Roy should have reminded himself that the Fullmetal Alchemist was also his youngest. Roy shook his head as his eyes darted blankly to the cieling for a moment in disbeleif. He wasn't any better than the man who left the two young Elrics behind. Alphonse was still talking but Roy couldn't hear a word. _At least you're trying._ Yes, at least Roy was trying. He promised himself that he wouldn't give up again. He wasn't ever going to leave his subordinate to fend for himself ever again. Though he was an imperfect man, he was trying the best that he could in a cruel imperfect world. Something good had to come out of that right?

"... So Colonel you gave him more than I ever could," Alphonse finished softly. Roy blinked his eyes twice. He wasn't paying attention to a thing the boy said, getting too caught up in his own thoughts. He looked over to Benjamin but the man was standing there all teary eyed like the boy had just given a prize winning emotional speech. For all Roy knew, he had.

"Uhh, thanks," he mumbled hoping that he didn't miss anything important. Alphonse nodded his head accepting the man's answer like it was thoughtful. Roy felt bad, terrible actually. From the little that he did hear, did Alphonse really think that he couldn't help his own brother? Benjamin stepped forward and rested a hand on Alphonse's shoulder as if trying to comfort him.

"Roy why don't you go upstairs? Alphonse, would you like to help me down here a little bit?" the butler suggested. Roy, now completely lost, decided that it was probably for the best. Benjamin had that certain look in his eye that told him everything would be alright. He filled the second glass with water and forced himself to leave the kitchen. He took the servant's staircase that was hidden in the far corner of the kitchen, upstairs. It was closer to his room at the end of the hall. The door to his room was still shattered and broken in from where Benjamin had kicked it down. Roy sighed to himself as he stepped through it, letting the hushed voices in the kitchen fade behind him. A soft thundering roll rippled through the room and he imediately knew that Edward was there. The kid was curled up at the end of the bed closest to the heater. He was dressed in some pajamas which were too big for him and hung down past his feet. Benjamin must have set them out for him again. Edward looked so small with them on, like he was a little kid trying on his father's clothes. It was then that Roy realised that they were his pajamas. He shook his head, shoving the thought out of his mind. The boy was fast asleep, only the purring giving Roy a sign that he was still alive. He made his way to the bathroom and quickly got dressed and brushed his teeth. He nearly flinched when he saw his own face in the mirror. It was so worn and tired, just like it had been after Ishval. Exhaustion slowly crept over him as he washed his face hoping to simply wipe the bags out from under his eyes, but of course it was useless. Only a night's sleep could cure this. Though he didn't have to fight nightmares that evening, he just wished that no one would wake Edward up either.

Roy finished up and made his way over to his bed. Edward was asleep on top of the covers and had nothing covering him. His hand was slid up his shirt exposing his stomach to the cool air of the room. The golden length of tail was wrapped lightly around him as if it suspected the kid needed a blanket. Roy saw the bright obnoxious fabric of Edward's coat draped over the closest end of the bed. He picked it up and huffed tiredly to himself. It was filthy and desperately needed a wash. Just another thing that would have to wait till the morning. He sighed as he tossed it to the side and grabbed a spare blanket from his closet and set it over his subordinate. The soft purring faltered bit and the kid frowned slightly as he found himself in a new environment. Roy was afraid that he woke him up, but it must have just all been in his subconscious. After a few moments the purring returned quite louder than before and Roy relaxed as he made his way over to the other side and climbed underneath the covers, trying his best not to disturb the sleeping kid at the foot of his bed. The night was silent except for a few stray murmurs that floated up from the kitchen. As he settled in, Roy caught Edward's fluffy golden cat ear twitch slightly. He looked so peaceful when he ws sleeping. It was like the worries of the day didn't even exist. A yawn broke out of Roy's mouth as he slowly closed his eyes. He wished that everything could be as peaceful as that moment.

...

"I am sorry to hear about your father," Benjamin said as he filled a bucket with soap and water. The young Elric was carefully sitting on one of the kitchen stools, quietly twiddling his thumbs. Benjamin heard the entire story, even though he was sure that Mustang hadn't. Alphonse had told Roy that he knew that he blamed himself for everything. It was a habbit that he said even Edward did; pulling the guilt of the strangest things on himself. He told him that the reason why Edward couldn't trust anyone too much was because he was afraid that they would leave just like their father. He was afraid that he chased him off. Ben wished that Roy heard the full story, but the dazed look in the man's eyes after Alphonse finished stated that he didn't. The suit of armour glummly nodded his head as Benjamin turned off the tap.

"No, he's been gone for a while. We are kind of used to it. It is just... Edward. He always tries to do so much but now...I just wish that I could do something for him but I-I don't know how to return him to normal. I don't even know where to start. I am just grateful that Mr. Mustang is helping brother out as much as he is," Alphonse mumbled. Benjamin nodded his head and picked up a couple scrubbing brushes from underneath the sink. He picked up the bucket of water and motioned for him to follow him. The suit of armour got up and as quietly as he could, tailed him out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the hallway. The white carpet was still covered in mud from that day's extavaganza. Benjamin had only managed to clean the bottom floor which had a great deal less dirt before he left for work that morning. He placed the bucket of sudzy water down and lightly dipped his scrubbing brush into it and began to clean the carpetted floors.

"Sir Elric, this whole event is hard on everyone. I actually beleived something like this was impossible and though I didn't know you nor your brother before hand, I am very distressed that this could even happen. I am just the butler, so I don't feel like much help at all in any of the terrors that happen, but in my line of work, I learned that every little bit helps," he told him. "The Master of the house seems to be learning this ever so slowly. I hope you aren't going to be trying to give up on your brother because you fear that you aren't doing any good-"

"Never! He's my brother! Though he is a cat now, I would never-" Alphonse exclaimed as if he was extremely offended. Benjamin smiled at the boy's eagerness.

"Calm down," he chuckled dipping the brush back into the water. The dirt that was gathered tainted the suds a bit. "I didn't mean anything by it. It's just... Mustang did it just this morning. He felt like he was doing more harm than good so he just stopped. I kicked his butt back in line of course," Benjamin said giving the young armour a wink, "but I am still glad you told him how much you appreciated his work. The man needs a reminder at somepoints."

"Thankyou," Alphonse replied softly, "I just wish Brother could do the same thing. He is just always so introverted all the time, I think he is more so now, that I doubt we will ever know what is going on with him."

"Really? I think your brother is actually opening up a bit more now," Benjamin commented as he picked up the bucket of sudsy water and moved a couple feet to another dirty section of carpet. "The first time I saw him he was in complete denial. It was the first morning and I made the mistake of making him omeletes. I didn't know they would hurt his stomach of course. He acted like he didn't want Roy around but now he is practically following him around everywhere like a lost puppy."

"You mean like a lost kitten," Alphonse sighed. Benjamin laughed a little bit at the boy's half hearted joke.

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that," he sighed as he finished cleaning another splotch of mud. There was a prolonged silence as Benjamin moved onto another. After a while Alphonse bent down and picked up a spare brush that he was carrying with him and started to scrub the dirty carpet. The only sound that filled the house was the gentle brushing of the floors.

"Mr-"

"Just call me Ben," he interrupted.

"Yes, Ben? Are you and the Colonel-" Alphonse started to ask timidly.

"No, Elric, he is just letting me stay here with him. Nothing like that," Benjamin sighed cutting off the thoughts that were running through the boy's head.

"Oh sorry, I just-"

"It's alright your brother asked the same thing," he said. They were plundged into another long jet of silence. They got a good distance done with the main hallways but they still had so much work to do. Benjamin heard the clock ring twelve and he looked down at his watch. It was getting late, especially after a long day. Alphonse must have notice his exhaustion.

"Benjamin, I could finish this up, and maybe start some laundry or something. You should get some rest-"

"No, it's alright. I had late nights before-"

"And so have I. I can't sleep or anything so I might as well have something to occupy my time. Get my mind off of things you know?" Alphonse said light heartedly but Benjamin heard a weight behind it. Downstairs in the dining room during dinner, everyone had caught him up with the Elric's situation. They seemed hesitant about it all but if they wanted to keep anything secret they shouldn't have brought it into the butler's domain. It was tragic and even more so was Edward. He nearly cried when he heard the tale and now Edward lost the capability to get his brother's body back just because of one mission. Alphonse was probably bogged down with everything that was layed on him in just one night. His entire world must have been crumbling but worst of all he felt useless. Benjamin set his scrub brush down in the bucket of water and slowly stood up. The suit of armour stayed knelt on the ground, staring up at him like he was begging to do his work. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Alright, but don't over work yourself-"

"You know that can't happen," Alphonse told him. Benjamin could almost see a light smile across the armour's helmet.

"My room is right off of the kitchen next to the laundry room. If you need anything don't hesitate," Benjamin said as he turned to leave.

"Thankyou," the armour replied softly. As Benjamin walked down the hall towards the back hidden stairs exhaustion hit him like a brick. It was a long day at work, and an even longer day when he got back. Maybe he was glad for a small break. As he passed the Colonel's room, the door was still agape since it was broken and splintered to pieces. He would have to fix it in the morning, but for now it would have to stay. Benjamin moved to close the door as best as he could but he caught sight of the two lumps sleeping soundly on the bed. They both looked so restful there. Benjamin smiled slightly as he shut the door. Yes, everyone needed a good rest.


End file.
